The science of breath holds - lessons from a world record holder

Stig Åvall Severinsen is a four time World Champion freediver and the first human to hold his breath for more than 20 minutes (20 minutes and 10 seconds back in 2010). The same year he also beat the Wim Hof record diving under ice. Stig holds a Master’s degree in biology (2001) and a PhD in medicine (2007) from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. In 2017 he was inaugurated as a fellow international member of the Explorer's Club in New York. Stig has set 10 official Guinness world records, including the deepest unassisted dive in the ocean (200 feet in 2003), swimming 250 feet under ice wearing only speedos on a single breath (2013) and swimming 202.0 meters on a single breath in open water (2020). In 2012, Stig was crowned “The Ultimate Superhuman” on the Discovery Channel's “Superhuman Showdown” when he held his breath for 22 minutes under water! Stig's methods has been trusted by Olympian gold winning athletes, Navy SEALs, Fortune 500 companies & the Danish Royal Airforce. Besides the High Performance segment this method is also widely used for veterans struggling with PTSD, for people recovering from illness or accidents and for everyday people and employees to stay healthy and energized throughout busy and stressful days. Today Stig focuses entirely on public speaking, 1:1 coaching and teaching the many benefits of conscious breathing through his Breatheology platform, making the world breathe better, one breath at a time.

Sabinije von Gaffke is an internationally recognized and award-winning moderator, speaker and entrepreneur operating at the forefront of longevity, science, AI and human potential. She is Founding Partner of Super Human, an exclusive, invitation-only global summit and network, Co-founder of BrainGym.co, and Founder of HUMAN™️.

Recognized for leading high-level, cross-disciplinary conversations with many of the world's foremost experts, Sabinije moderates and speaks on international stages at the intersection of longevity, science, technology and human potential.

Beyond the stage, she collaborates with leading organizations across longevity, hospitality and private communities to design human-centered longevity ecosystems that integrate science, strategic partnerships, meaningful experiences and human connection.

Her work is grounded in systems thinking and ecosystem design, integrating scientific advancement, infrastructure and human development—reflecting a broader vision of moving beyond optimisation toward coherence as the foundation for sustainable human potential. Her philosophy is simple: Longevity isn't simply about living longer. It's about expanding the human experience and unlocking human potential.