Jill Heinerth
on Fearless Cave Diving
“If I die, it will be in the most glorious place that nobody has ever seen. The Beauty contradicts the Danger. We are the first people to cave dive inside an iceberg. And we may not live to tell the story. There are no training manuals or protocols to follow. When you’re the first to do something, there’s nobody to call for help.”
The Cave is the heart of the world. Entering it and diving into the unknown is a rite of passage. The one who dares to go inside it is the one who is willing to explore the realm of the Self, to discover the essence. The one who destroys the veil of illusions.
This brave one is Jill Heinerth.
Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver, her brilliant book, carries you on a journey to places you’ve never imagined. It is an “uncomfortable rendezvous with fear”. Yes, you will feel shocked, cold and claustrophobic when you read it. But accept this courageous woman’s invitation that challenges you “to recognize the humanity in that sensation of terror you’re experiencing.”
An acclaimed polar explorer, cave diver, author, speaker, filmmaker, and climate advocate, Jill has seen the planet in a way almost no one has. As one of the world’s premier underwater explorers, she is the first person to dive inside giant Antarctic iceberg caves. She is the first Explorer-in-Residence of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and, according to filmmaker James Cameron, “More people have walked on the moon than have been to some of the places Jill Heinerth has gone right here on Earth.”
She’s a scientist’s eyes and hands underwater, discovering new species and examining our finite freshwater reserves, and a filmmaker documenting the wonders of underwater life. The pure and alive definition of testing the limits of human endurance at every tight turn, risking her own life with each mission.
To not only survive in this world but excel, Jill is not fearless, but alive today because she learned to embrace fear as a positive catalyst in her life: “as I dwell on the threshold of darkness, I might be scared, but I don't run away. I dance in the joy of uncertainty.”
Jill encourages you to accept that you are an explorer, just like her. She spent her life immersed in a relationship with Water, this element that “nourishes and destroys, that has both freed me and taken the lives of my friends.” But in these wild and almost unimaginable situations is where you “blossom in the purity of unhindered exploration. I’ll be afraid, but I’ll never concede.”
Thank you, Jill, for being a Fearless Cave Diver!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Jill Heinerth
Company / Institution: The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Title: Explorer-in-Residence
Website: www.IntoThePlanet.com
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillheinerth/
Country of origin: Canada
Country you currently live in: Canada
Your personal definition of Regeneration: A dedication to open-mindedness and learning.
Main business challenge you face: Forging my way into an unconventional career as an independent entity.
Main driver that keeps you going: Maintaining control over the type of work that I take on.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: Empathy.
The trait you most value in others: Integrity.
Passions & little things that bring you joy: I love cooking healthy, fresh and local food. I also feel rejuvenated when I am creating art.
The #inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
I admire women like Jane Goodall who continues an authentic and active career in her 80s.
A hint or starting point for companies or professionals that are taking the first steps in the regeneration journey:
Stay open-minded and accept that every idea may have a kernel of importance.
Be bold and audacious in your experimentation and treat failure as “discovery learning” that informs the way forward.
Most used and abused clichés about sustainability that bother you: The old phrase “dilution is the solution to pollution” has gotten us to a point in our Earth’s history where we are bringing the ocean’s health to a tipping point.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: You are the person we have been waiting for. Please, don’t lose hope! Small incremental changes and decisions can make a difference.
Books that had a major impact on you:
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
Must-reads for any Regenerative professional:
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative by Florence Williams
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again: An Inconvenient Truth.
Blogs / Websites / Podcasts etc. you visit frequently: RadioLab, The Moth, Hidden Brain.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: Marvin Gaye.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you: Newfoundland, Canada.
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow:
Karen Washington (farmer and community activist).
Trends in Regeneration we should keep an eye on:
Recombinant art produced from discarded items
Local urban farming
Biowaste to fuel
Use of algae for fuel and other products.
Best places for business networking (online or offline): I think we all need to look local for connections, inspiration and solutions. Strong communities are the foundation for change.
Events we should attend: Your local government meetings, your local school board, farmer’s markets, community events.
Associations, business clubs, tribes you belong to – and why:
Explorers Club (like-minded global citizens pursuing discovery and change)
Royal Canadian Geographical Society (focuses on providing free educational resources that expand geographic knowledge)
X-Prize Foundation (I am a member of the Brain Trust pursuing a new global prize for Conservation and Biodiversity. My colleagues are global visionaries, ready to take on huge global issues with audacious ideas for change).
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030: Global interconnectivity via the internet offers us incredible collaboration opportunities to solve big issues together.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030: We face urgent global issues that are going to change our way of life. I hope humanity is ready to pivot quickly and accept that life will change forever if we are to survive these existential threats.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today: Integrity, open-mindedness, collaboration, multidisciplinary skills, empathy.
Quote that inspires you:
"You alone can do it, but you cannot do it alone."
Your own quote that will inspire us:
