In this TED talk, David Blane talks about the arduous process he went through to break
the world record for longest time anyone has held their breath. This is an incredible feat, but the
message of this video is how he was inspired to persevere through the pain in order to reach this
goal.
Why would someone do this to themselves? Of course, we know that pushing his body to
the limits is Blane’s thing. It’s what he does. When it comes to this however, this was something
he was inspired to do by the Harry Houdini. He says he would challenge his friends to see how
long they could all hold their breath because he was so enamored with Houdini’s underwater
stunts. He was so inspired by Houdini, he beat his Houdini’s record for holding his breath when
he was a teenager.
Blane was successful in beating the record for holding one’s breath at about 17 minutes
and 4 seconds. He suffered no brain damage and was tested on by scientists to further any kind
of research and validate his accomplishment. This stunt took endless hours of preparation and
training, as all of his stunts do. He goes through pain and suffering to astound audiences, but
why? Well, there is the fame and recognition, but those are short-lived, and I think there is a
better explanation.
Had there been no Harry Houdini, testing the limits, would there be a David Blane
pushing them farther? Houdini inspired Blane to do the impossible, and I believe that Blane
wants to inspire others to do the impossible as well. Even if their goal isn’t to hold their breath
for the longest amount of time, his achievement can serve as an inspiration for countless others.
If David Blane can survive 17 minutes underwater without breathing, who is to say that anything
is impossible?