Calling Christal Clashing inspirational is an understatement. Her list of achievements is nothing short of remarkable. At just 14, she became the first female swimmer to represent Antigua & Barbuda at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Fast forward to 2018, she was part of the history-making Team Antigua Island Girls in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, becoming the first all-black team and first-all-female Caribbean team to row any ocean when they crossed the Atlantic. In 2023, they crossed the mid-Pacific Ocean in the World’s Toughest Row – Pacific. Christal incredibly achieved all this while battling the debilitating symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and depression. Despite this challenge, she also qualified as an adventure guide, swim and stand-up paddle instructor, a PADI divemaster and is a passionate advocate for mental health. She has even authored a book, Yemoja’s Anansi.
As if all this wasn’t enough, Christal’s latest adventure takes her into the depths of the extreme sport of freediving. She has already made history by becoming the first female freediver from Antigua & Barbuda to set a national record. The Citizen caught up with Christal when she came up for air to dive into her motivations and uncover the secrets behind her impressive talents.
What is freediving, and what sparked your interest in this extreme sport?
Freediving is diving to a specified distance in one breath, either in open water or a pool. In open water, you dive along a line that is weighted at the bottom whilst attached to the line by a lanyard for safety to ensure you don’t drift away. The aim is to go as deep as you can in one breath. The pool competitions are about going the furthest distance in one breath. I do the open water disciplines at the moment.
I became aware of freediving while living in Costa Rica in 2016. However, I didn’t discover it as a sport until 2019, when I was at a freediving camp in Dominica. I was just seeking to learn more about the sport for a piece I was writing. It turned into a full-blown hobby a few months later, and led to my first competition in Dominica in July.
Congratulations on setting a new national record for freediving at the Deep Dominica Competition this summer. How deep did you dive?
I achieved a depth of 40 metres (131 feet) in the constant weight or mono-fin category and 31 metres (102 feet) in the constant weight no fins category.
You are certainly up for a challenge after rowing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. How different is the mental preparation for freediving?
Freediving is about relaxing and releasing tension in your mind and body before and during your dive. It’s a very meditative sport in that you’re trying to enjoy the process of relaxing while being at depth in the water. Ocean rowing is more about finding a rhythm and being resolute in finding solutions to any problems thrown your way.
Freediving is different from any other sport I’ve done, as trying to push your body can backfire dangerously on you. It’s about acceptance of where you are at a given moment, not being too hard on yourself, and being willing to try again.
Freediving is different from any other sport I’ve done, as trying to push your body can backfire dangerously on you. It’s about acceptance of where you are at a given moment, not being too hard on yourself, and being willing to try again.
You’ve been open about your struggles with PMDD. Why is it important for you to discuss this disorder and mental health in general?
PMDD, or pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder, is a pre-menstrual condition that affects about eight percent of women worldwide. It is such an under-recognised condition that more people, not just women, need to be aware of it. For those it affects, it wreaks havoc with their lives. Without effective treatment, your life is turned upside down every two weeks as you struggle with depression, anxiety, reduced concentration and focus, and difficulty motivating yourself to do even the simplest of tasks like taking a shower.
Bringing more awareness to this condition and other mental health conditions is vital because more empathy is needed and systems put in place to support those who have conditions that they have very limited control over.
Which of your many accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the times I was able to push through and achieve my goals despite my PMDD. This includes submitting my dissertation for my undergraduate degree with the support of my lecturers and having the inner strength and family support system to get through training for the 2018 Atlantic Challenge with Team Antigua Island Girls.
The key is the support I received during these times. Without it, I would not have been able to achieve everything I have. Additionally, as having PMDD also affected my ability to row during the 2023 Pacific row, I would not have been able to accomplish that feat without my teammates’ support.
How do you use your platform to inspire the next generation of adventurers and athletes?
I will continue taking on interesting and intriguing challenges and sharing my journey on social media. I also have one or two younger athletes to whom I offer mindset strategies and spend time with. I’ve given a few talks to primary school children, which I’ve enjoyed because this is when career dreams begin and when they start forming the habits and mindsets they will take with them to high school and beyond.
Who inspires you?
I am drawn to persons who are the first to do something or have had to forge a path that wasn’t clearly defined. This includes Mitzi and Howard Allen of HaMaFilms – Antigua’s first local film production company – and my mother, Edith Clashing, who set up the first pool-based swim club after over a decade of no pool-based swim clubs on the island. She has worked to advance swimming since my sister and I were involved in the sport 25 years ago.
Where are your favourite places in Antigua, on land and at sea?
My favourite place is the beach, particularly Jabberwock Beach when there’s no sargassum seaweed. I like spending time there with my thoughts, inhaling the sea air and exhaling any worries.
I enjoy snorkelling at Windward Beach next to Pigeon Point Beach. Getting in and out is challenging because of the rocks and wave surge, but once I’m in, I think it’s absolutely beautiful. Similarly, I love snorkelling around the Pillars of Hercules because of the rock formations underwater.
Do you have anything else on your bucket list?
I’d like to give wingfoiling a go, as I’ve never done any windsports. It may be a good sport when it’s too windy to freedive. Freediving requires very calm conditions, and Antigua is characteristically windy between November and April.
I’d like to say a special thank you to Budget Marine, who came on board as a silver sponsor at the start of my campaign and to the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) who came on as my gold sponsor. I’d also like to express immense gratitude to everyone who has contributed to my crowdfunding drive, as every contribution adds up!
