Ant Williams

Ant holds world records for the deepest and longest swims under ice. A sport psychologist turned extreme athlete, he combines mental fitness with relentless innovation to excel on the world stage. In this keynote, Ant teaches the strategies needed to perform in moments that count, sharing actionable techniques anyone can apply. Using insights from sport psychology, and his own extreme feats, he helps leaders and teams excel under pressure, embrace uncertainty, and develop a performance mindset that thrives in times of change or challenge.

This high-impact session blends storytelling with jaw-dropping imagery from Ant’s world record attempts in ice diving. Ant takes audiences behind the scenes of his world record-breaking Ice Dive - an audacious 182m swim under ice in Iceland for an immersive film with Apple on the Vision Pro. He reveals what it takes to prepare for the extreme, the role of trust in high-stakes situations, and the mental strategies that helped him succeed when failure wasn’t an option.

Key takeaways: Mental Fitness
1. Why taking positive, calculated risk is essential to achieving your dreams
2. How to rewire your brain for courage and composure
3. Techniques to unlock new levels of performance
4. Simple tools to refuel your mind & body

What happens when a high-performing team, built for success, completely unravels under pressure?

Business leaders may not face the Arctic cold, but they do face relentless change, the challenge of shaping culture, and the pressure of leading others through uncertainty. In 2019, Ant Williams set out to break an extreme sport world record — becoming the deepest man under ice. Yet, within 24 hours of arriving in the Arctic Circle, his elite dive team fell apart. Heated arguments, poor communication, and a weakness for Vodka descended some team members into chaos.

In this dynamic and interactive keynote, Ant takes leaders inside this high-pressure mission to uncover the real reasons teams succeed or fail. Through vivid storytelling and an immersive problem-solving challenge, attendees will step into the shoes of his dive team, identifying critical decisions that could have turned the team around before disaster struck.

Key takeaways: People Leadership
1. How to match your leadership to the situation and the person
2. The art of giving feedback that challenges, without crushing
3. Having honest conversations about poor performance