The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Guest Host Edition: David Rutherford Show
Episode: “22 Minutes Without Air” – World Record Holder Stig Severinsen on the True Limits of Human Performance
Date: December 15, 2025
Featured Guest: Stig Severinsen (Multiple Guinness World Records, World Champion Free Diver, PhD in Medicine & Biology)
Host: David Rutherford

Overview:

This episode explores the incredible world of human performance and breath control through the eyes of Stig Severinsen, best known for holding his breath underwater for a record-breaking 22 minutes. David Rutherford dives into Stig’s journey, the connection between biology, psychology, and performance, and how breathwork unlocks extraordinary potential—both in elite athletes and everyday life. The conversation blends science, philosophy, training insights, and inspiring personal stories, inviting listeners to challenge their own perceived limits.

Main Discussion & Key Points

Stig’s Beginnings and Connection to Water

• Natural Evolution to Extremes:
  • Stig attributes his success to a “natural evolution” from childhood, fueled by an early love of water, animals, and curiosity.

    “It really has just been a natural evolution for me.” (05:01 – Stig).

  • Swimming from a young age, selected for talent teams by 5, and winning national championships at 9 in Denmark (05:29–05:33).
• Nature & Psychology:
  • Deep fascination as a biologist and animal lover, spending hours observing wildlife and dissecting specimens as a child.

    “I was a biologist before I became one.” (10:53 – Stig).

  • Exploration of animal behaviors led to understanding human performance:

    “My other fascination as a child was sports, so movement. … how’s the body working?” (11:36 – Stig)

• Early Foundations in Sports & Martial Arts:
  • Progression into competitive swimming, then underwater rugby, martial arts, and meditation.
• Childhood Breath Holds:
  • Competing with brother and neighbors to hold breath longer—instilling curiosity and comfort underwater (21:04 onward).

Forming a Champion’s Mindset

• Competitive Spirit and Breaking Records:

  • Stig describes a turning point, realizing world-class performance was within reach when he read about depth records in a magazine.

    “I was like, I could be in the mix.” (27:38 – Stig).

  • Emphasizes the difference between arrogance and realistic ambition:

    “It’s not arrogance… it’s like within reach.”

• The Power of Habits and Marginal Gains:

  • Analogy: Like brushing teeth, performance is built on stacking and refining small habits for better outcomes (13:00–13:55).

• Overcoming Plateau and Reaching World-Class:

  • Stig’s coach encourages him to “give it your best, everything” after missing the cut for national team rugby:

    “You have this special gift. You should give it your best, ‘cause you’re kind of riding two horses.” (33:37–Stig recounting coach advice).

  • Shifts focus from team sports to freediving, leading to three world records within a year (37:00–37:45).

• Not Competing Against Others—But Against Oneself:

  “It is not a competition against the other athletes. It’s really... a competition against yourself. It’s like your shadow.” (43:30 – Stig)

Physiology, Breathwork, and Pushing Limits

• World Records and Testing Human Boundaries:

  • First person to pass 20-minute breath hold:

    “I did 20 minutes 10 seconds as the first human on this planet.” (51:41 – Stig)

    • Achieved in a shark tank to make breath-hold "entertaining and memorable" for kids.
  • Best: 22 minutes without breathing—“meditation underwater.” (60:49–Stig)
  • Multiple world records in pool distance, depth, and under-ice diving.

• Training and Scientific Measurement:

  • Used medical tests, blood sampling, MR scans, even radioactive isotopes to study what happens during extreme breath-holds (45:10–Stig).

• Preparation & Mental Conditioning:

  • Fasting before big records to keep blood out of gut, tuning nutrition for optimal vasodilation (spinach, greens, etc.).
  • Describes "relax-on-demand"—a conditioned ability to enter deep relaxation and slow the heart—a superpower for any discipline.

    “When you use a special breathing ratio or pattern, then that becomes the focus point… The brain listens and your body knows it.” (72:20 – Stig)

• Integrating Science and Eastern Wisdom:

  • Blends scientific understanding of neurophysiology, breathing, and yoga.

    “…with breathing we have the greatest tool to control our mind.” (71:14 – Stig)

• Mental Strength and The Role of Hardship:

  • Swimming under ice & challenging conditions strengthens mind for world record attempts.
  • Uses discomfort and “unpleasantness” as training for mental flexibility and strength (57:24–59:53).

• Safety Message:

  • Never hold your breath alone underwater—tragic loss of a close friend shapes his advocacy for safety (28:10–30:29).

The Art and Science of Breathology

• Breath Holding as Meditation and Measurable Mindfulness:
  • Describes brain states (alpha, beta, gamma, delta waves) as like “tuning a radio.”
  • Meditation underwater = flow state; no awareness of time, total absorption.

  “You merge with the action. … There is no time.” (70:38 – Stig)

  • “Mindfulness by measure”—you can quantify progress by seconds of breath hold or distance (77:17–78:23).
• Universal Application:
  • Breathwork as transformative for athletes, military, business leaders, and trauma survivors—including veterans.
• Baby Steps and Scaling Performance:
  • Anyone can greatly improve (“double or triple breath hold in seven days” via his free online challenge—85:20)
  • “Once you reach a level, you cannot unlearn it… like riding a bike.” (88:35–89:32)
• Building a Healthy, Resilient Nervous System:
  • “The key to relaxation is in the exhalation. The nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating.” (82:48–Stig)
  • Exhales, slow breathing, and nasal breathing stimulate the vagus nerve, put you in ‘rest and digest’ (parasympathetic mode).
• Powerful Takeaway:

  “I want to tell people that they can learn to become comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. That is the takeaway message.” (101:57 – Stig)

Legacy, Teaching, and Passing the Torch

• Ongoing Role as Teacher & Coach:
  • Works with top performers (Navy SEALs, fighter pilots, CEOs, freedivers).
  • Story of recent coaching with champion Alexey Molchanov (112:03–117:54):
    • Adopts a collaborative, lifelong learner’s attitude:

      “It’s the respect, the mutual respect… To be able to ask for help, even if you’re the best of the best.” (112:41–David / Stig)

    • Details on training drills, recovery from failures, and meticulous, evidence-driven adjustments.
• Community Impact and Accessibility:
  • Breath holding and breathwork can benefit anyone, not just “superhumans.”
  • Advocates for teaching children and underserved groups (e.g., Cambodian school project teaching breathing, gardening, plastic cleanup at 99:00–99:45).
• Finding Your Method:
  • Tips for listeners: Try different breathwork approaches (Breathology, Oxygen Advantage, Wim Hof, holotropic, etc.) and build habits.

    “Find a person, or a school, or a direction that you like, try that out.” (100:24 – Stig)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Discovery and Ambition:

  “I picked up this magazine [on freediving], and I looked at the times and the depth…and I was like, I could be in the mix.” – Stig, 27:38

• On Competitive Spirit:

  “When you’re good at something, it’s fun…and when it’s fun, you become good at it.” – Stig, 20:56

• On Suffering and Growth:

  “I used that cold water and that type of training and that unpleasantness to…I don’t care about sharks…But it was a great training for me mentally to be, you know, strengthening my mind and becoming tough.” – Stig, 59:53

• On Measuring Mindfulness:

  “You can measure the level of mindfulness just by seconds you hold your breath or depth…It’s very crude…but it never fails. Seconds are seconds.” – Stig, 77:36–78:06

• On Flow State:

  “You merge with the action…That’s a beautiful place to be because it’s perfect and there is no time.” – Stig, 70:38

• On Breath as Control:

  “With breathing, we have the greatest tool to control our mind… The way you breathe is the way you feel.” – Stig, 71:14

• On Conditioned Response:

  “When I hold my breath for 20 minutes, I have a deep, intimate conversation about my heart. And I don’t command it, but I ask it kindly to beat softer.” – Stig, 82:50

• On Habit Stacking:

  “You can be very productive if you do things in a smart way that you have to do anyways…but you stack them together and… the outcome is faster and better.” – Stig, 117:32

• On Universal Potential:

  “I don’t want people to think I’m this superhuman… Everyone can do much more. You can do much more than you think or believe.” – Stig, 88:35

Key Timestamps for Segments

• [05:01] – Natural progression into water, swimming, and science.
• [14:43] – On training, technique, and importance of good coaches.
• [20:43] – The decision to pursue “the best”; early competitive moments.
• [27:38] – The inspiration to go for world records.
• [33:37] – Key coach’s advice, shift to freediving.
• [37:00, 37:45] – Achieving first world records.
• [43:30] – Competing against self, not others.
• [51:07, 60:49] – Details of 20/22 min breath holds, “meditation underwater.”
• [71:14] – Breathing as a tool for the mind; “the way you breathe is the way you feel.”
• [82:48] – The exhale as the key to relaxation.
• [85:20] – “Seven-day breath hold challenge” – intro to method and results.
• [101:57] – Learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
• [112:03–117:54] – Coaching/legacy, story with freediver Alexey Molchanov.
• [118:58–124:12] – Where to find Breathology, book, resources, and philosophy.

Final Resources & Where to Learn More

• Find Stig Severinsen / Breathology:
  • Website & social: "Breathology" (search with or without ‘e’, handles/domainees secured)
  • 7-Day Breath Hold Challenge: Free, online, open to all skill levels.
  • Book: "Breathology" (available on Amazon and online PDFs)
• Other Breathwork Approaches:
  • Oxygen Advantage (Patrick McKeown)
  • Wim Hof Method
  • Holotropic/rebirthing (Stanislav Grof)

Tone & Style:

Conversational, warm, filled with childlike curiosity and humility; deeply scientific but accessible; a blend of playfulness, gravitas, and inspiration.

For Listeners:

This episode is a must for anyone interested in pushing boundaries—whether in sports, wellness, stress management, or self-discovery. Through Stig’s story and expertise, you’re invited to challenge your own limits, harness practical breathing techniques, and find stillness and flow both underwater and on land.

“You can do much more than you think. And it starts with curiosity, an open mind, and doing breath work.” – Stig Severinsen (88:35)