# Hanli Prinsloo > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hanli_Prinsloo > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hanli_Prinsloo.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanli_Prinsloo > Source revision: 1342706330 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Hanli Prinsloo** is a South African [freediver](/source/Freediving), speaker, writer and [ocean conservationist](/source/Marine_conservation). She is the founder and executive director of I Am Water, an [ocean conservation](/source/Marine_conservation) trust dedicated to conserving and protecting the world's oceans through human experience.[1][2] During her competitive years as a freediver, she broke eleven South African free diving records and was the first South African to hold all six free diving records simultaneously.[3][4] ## Personal life Prinsloo was born to parents Hennie and Naomi Prinsloo on a farm near [Cullinan](/source/Cullinan,_Gauteng), South Africa, and spent her first 18 years on a horse farm outside [Pretoria](/source/Pretoria,_South_Africa). Prinsloo has one sister, sculptor Marieke Prinsloo-Rowe, who works mainly in cement and often with an aquatic theme.[5] ## Education After graduating from [Willowridge High School](/source/Willowridge_High_School_(Pretoria)) in [Pretoria](/source/Pretoria), Prinsloo studied dramatic studies at the [University of Pretoria](/source/University_of_Pretoria) for one year before relocating to [Gothenburg](/source/Gothenburg), Sweden where she studied both performing arts (Dramatik, Göteborgs Universitet) and cultural project management (Kulturverkstan). She is a qualified free-diving instructor with AIDA,[6] and a certified [yoga](/source/Yoga) instructor (Sampoorna Yoga, India).[7] ## Freediving achievements While studying and working as an actress in Sweden, she was introduced to the sport of free-diving by ocean adventurer and free-diver Sebastian Näslund. In 2003 Hanli broke her first South African free-diving record and in 2006 represented South Africa at the Free-diving World Championships in [Dahab](/source/Dahab), Egypt. In 2008 she broke four South African records and won the [Nordic Deep](/source/Nordic_Deep) Free-diving Competition.[8] In 2010 she broke her eleventh South African record and became the first South African to hold records in all six free competitive diving disciplines simultaneously.[3] Free diving discipline Measure Constant weight 63 meters Free immersion 52 meters Constant weight no fins 42 meters Dynamic apnea 150 meters Dynamic apnea no fins 126 meters Static apnea 5 minutes 39 seconds ## Career and accomplishments In 2010, Prinsloo started working as a documentary filmmaker. In 2010, she completed a one-hour documentary film with production company Filmkreatörerna under producer Klara Björk.[9] The film ‘White As Blood’ screened in several countries and charted a personal journey of coming home.[citation needed] She has worked with an array of top athletes coaching the lessons of mental strength learned in free-diving. She has worked with trail runner [Ryan Sandes](/source/Ryan_Sandes), and big wave surfers including [Grant "Twiggy" Baker](/source/Grant_Baker), [Chris Bertish](/source/Chris_Bertish), Frank Solomon, and [Greg Long](/source/Greg_Long_(surfer)). Prinsloo worked intensively with the [South African Springbok Sevens](/source/South_Africa_national_rugby_sevens_team) rugby team during the 2012–2013 season under coach [Paul Treu](/source/Paul_Treu).[citation needed] In 2014, Prinsloo was selected as one of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders.[10][self-published source?]. She has worked with author [James Nestor](/source/James_Nestor) in teaching him how to freedive, which he documented his experiences with her in his book *DEEP: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves*.[11] ### I Am Water Trust In 2010, her diving experiences with vulnerable marine creatures inspired[attribution needed] her to create the I Am Water Trust in 2010 with the help of the Ewing Trust Company. I Am Water believes the well being of the humanity cannot be separated from the well being of wilderness.[according to whom?] Prinsloo is currently the executive director of I Am Water .[1] Working in partnership with UBS and Catlin, I Am Water has initiated ocean outreach programs in South Africa and Bermuda.[citation needed] ## External links - [I Am Water Foundation](http://iamwaterfoundation.org/) - [Hanli Prinsloo](https://www.instagram.com/hanliprinsloo) on Instagram ## References 1. ["What We Do"](http://iamwaterfoundation.org). *iamwaterfoundation.org* 1. ["Hanli Prinsloo – Conservation Lab"](http://www.conservation-lab.com/hanli-prinsloo/). *Conservation Lab*. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016. 1. ["Hanli Prinsloo Breaks Another Record"](http://www.thedivesite.co.za/news/39/hanli-prinsloo-breaks-another-record). *The Dive Site* 1. ["Hanli Prinsloo"](http://www.ergosportmodels.com/wp-content/uploads/hanli-prinsloo.pdf). *ErgoSportsModels*. Retrieved 2 August 2016. 1. ["Marieke Prinsloo"](http://www.mariekeprinsloo-rowe.com/) 1. ["International Instructors"](https://archive.today/20140726094739/http://www.aidainternational.org/component/content/article/44-pages-category/126-international-instructors). Archived from [the original](http://www.aidainternational.org/component/content/article/44-pages-category/126-international-instructors) on 26 July 2014. 1. ["Mozambique – Freediving, Yoga and Dolphins with Hanli Prinsloo – Steppes Travel"](http://www.steppestravel.co.uk/freediving-yoga-mozambique-dolphins-hanli-prinsloo/overview). *Steppes Travel*. Retrieved 28 June 2016. 1. ["SA Free-diver wins Nordic Deep 2008"](http://www.southafrica.info/news/sport/freediving-280808.htm) 1. ["White As Blood"](http://www.filmkreatorerna.com/filmer/white-as-blood-7852027) 1. ["Hanli Prinsloo"](http://www.weforum.org/young-global-leaders/hanli-prinsloo/index.html?link=no) 1. Rommelmann, Nancy (11 July 2014). ["Book Review: 'Deep' by James Nestor"](https://www.wsj.com/articles/book-review-deep-by-james-nestor-1405098623). *Wall Street Journal*. Retrieved 24 June 2016. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hanli Prinsloo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanli_Prinsloo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanli_Prinsloo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.