Tom was born on January 12, 1977 in Hamburg. His family, who were passionate about travel, instilled in him a love of the sea. No one had any idea how deep this love would become.

A few years later, while on vacation in the Caribbean, Tom realized that it was easy for him to dive to the bottom of the sea while snorkeling and stay there - for minutes. In these moments he felt the sensation of being part of this wonderful world - and also perceiving himself in a profound way. It was not only the ability to discover the underwater world with its fascinating creatures relatively effortlessly, even without a compressed air cylinder. It was immersion in a state of happiness.

He had found something that would henceforth determine the course of his life, take him to foreign places and to like-minded people. The desire to stay underwater longer and longer also awakened his athletic ambition and motivated Tom to keep pushing the limits of his physical and mental capabilities and compete at the competition level. His scientific approach and collaboration with renowned physicians laid the foundation for breathtaking success.

Tom combined various meditation and breathing techniques into his own program that helped him win two world championship titles and 22 world records in freediving. Today Tom is one of the most successful athletes in international freediving.

Behind him lies a journey during which he hasn't only allowed him to know all the facets of an extreme sport, but also made him undergo a mental maturation process that allowed him to analyze himself and others unerringly and to lift them step by step to higher levels of performance.

Tom's full-time job as a vocational school teacher gives him the rare combination of top-notch theoretical and top-notch practical expertise.

Anyone who talks to Tom or experiences him in the company of others gets to know a person who is not fooling himself or anyone else. Tom is real. And it is precisely this authenticity and honesty that he needs in order to successfully fulfill his role as teacher, father and role model.