Kimi Werner in her element. Photo: Justin Turkowski
If you’ve heard of Kimi Werner, you’ve probably seen the picture or video of her gracefully swimming alongside a Great White Shark while holding on to the animal’s dorsal fin. Kimi is fearless, and she’s a force of nature.
Growing up off-grid in Hawaii, Kimi’s father taught her to free dive. She gave it up for years, then rediscovered it later in life and went on to become the national spearfishing champion, a chef, an award-winning artist, and sought-after speaker. Her work as an environmental advocate wasn’t always a goal, and her path has taken unexpected turns as she has built a career that combines many of her passions.
Kimi is a great storyteller, and she has some amazing stories to share with us, like her famous encounter with one of the ocean’s largest predators, the magic that took her on a trip to the Azores, and the fearlessness of standing up for herself in asking for equal pay. Her biggest lessons she wants to share, though, are the power of trusting your gut, and slowing down in order to speed up.
