Back in April, four months ago, we met at Lake Sils in Switzerland.
The same lake where I once set a world record for under-ice swimming. A place I know well. A place I trust. But this time, it wasn’t about me. Jiří Procházka came to meet us. Together we faced a choice: was this just going to be a cool photo under the ice… or a real challenge that would push Jiří to his edge and stay with him long after?

Of course, we picked the second one. What else would you expect from Jiří?

All In

This wasn’t about Instagram shots. The goal was simple: put Jiří in a situation where he would hit the wall, where he’d have to ask himself:
“Will I even find the hole? Was this a mistake? Am I going to make it?”

Not reckless danger. Controlled chaos. A setup where a champion could meet fear head-on—and walk through it. And a team right there to make sure he didn’t go over the edge.

We had 24 hours to prepare. Every detail had to be perfect.

Building the Team

I wasn’t doing this alone. With me were my Czech Iceman teammates—Mirek Nečas, the first certified Czech biohacker and a mental coach who reads athletes’ minds like an open book. And Honza Bartoň, who had safety locked down.

Everyone had a role. Everyone had to be sharp. One slip, and this dive wouldn’t happen. It felt like a pre-fight staredown: tension, focus, but all pulling the same direction.

And then Jiří’s crew—otchi.studio (Stanislav Hruban, Jakub Zostal). They came to film, but ended up being a huge part of the mission.

The Prep

The first meeting was quiet. Just the basics, then sleep.

The next morning, we dragged Jiří into the mountains. Snowshoes, just shorts. Mirek talked about nature, mindset, purpose. It wasn’t physical training—it was setting the tone. Real strength starts in the head.

Then came theory: breathing, freediving, under-ice safety. Jiří isn’t a freediver. His pool max? 50 meters. Beginner numbers. But in the fight world? He’s elite. That combo made this dive special.

When we tested the ice for the first time, Jiří hesitated:
“Do I really need this? Can’t we just go straight for it?”
But that first try mattered. He needed to feel the environment. I needed to see how he moved.

Good thing we did it. Because the next day, there were no second chances.

The Dive

When the moment came, I was ready like it was a world record. Wetsuit, fins, laser focus. I knew anything could happen—and I had to be ready to pull him out in an instant.

Mirek had the countdown. Honza had the safety gear. The system had to be flawless.

Jiří dove.

Silence under the ice. Just his body, just bubbles. After twelve meters, I could see it: steady, focused, respectful. Power and calm in one. He swam the full thirty meters. No panic. No chaos.

But no extra in the tank either. Maybe two more meters, tops. He hit the edge perfectly. And that’s why it mattered.

Champion’s Calm

When he surfaced, there were no screams, no wild celebration. Just a quiet look: “I did it.”

That calm after pushing limits? That’s what makes a champion.

For Jiří, it was proof: even in an arena with no opponent but his own mind, he could stand tall. He could face the “what if” and move straight through it.

And he didn’t leave it there. At UFC press conferences before his October 4th fight with Rountree Jr., he talked about it. This dive. This moment. As fuel for the cage.

Looking Back

It wasn’t just Jiří’s win. It was the whole team’s.

What started as an experiment turned into a story with weight far beyond the dive. Beyond fighting. Into life.

Afterward, we invited Jiří to keep training—breathing, mental work, the whole package. He said yes. And I can’t wait to see where this goes. Because what happened in that Swiss lake wasn’t just a dive. It was the start of something bigger.

And yeah—for one split second, I could have been one of the few to knock Jiří Procházka out. Instead, we built something that might make him unbeatable when it matters most.

Respect, Jiří.