For decades India’s differently abled community was sidelined, ignored in every possible sphere and generally treated as inept members of society. In recent years, however, we’ve seen an encouraging trend with many companies implementing methods to make the country more accessible and work towards improving the quality of life for handicapable citizens. One such tremendous movement is Adventures Beyond Barriers, a non-profit organisation created by Divyanshu Ganatra to promote inclusivity in adventure sports. Divyanshu has never let his lack of sight stop him from conquering every challenge that comes his way; from paragliding to mountaineering, he’s done it all.
Now he’s leading the way for other people with disabilities that refuse to let their handicap dictate their lives. We’ve previously explored his motivational journey, but he keeps finding new ways to inspire us. This time it’s in the field of SCUBA diving, he and the exceptional team at Finkick Adventures have set up an event that allows people with disabilities to experience the joys of the underwater world.
The Pune Underwater Festival on November 27 is being curated by Kshitij Mittal and Ankit Saboo at Finkick who wanted to host an event where they could bring the joy of diving to absolutely anybody who wanted to give it a try. Being landlocked, of course, the festival will be held in a swimming pool but that in no way affected the level of professionalism they put into the process. Kshitij holds a specialised qualification as a handicapped SCUBA instructor and for many hours he and a small team of volunteers with various disabilities held trial dives to make sure it was a safe and equal experience.
One such participant was Mrunmaiy Abroal, after a road accident she was diagnosed with a cervical spinal-cord injury that left her a quadriplegic, essentially paralysed below the shoulders. She was an avid swimmer but after her accident she had to give up her hobby. Over the years she strengthened her body but, until now, couldn’t imagine returning to an active lifestyle.
Divyanshu himself is a total water baby, as he says, “the most fun is watching people try to convince me to get OUT of the water,” and he’s working hard to bring the underwater fun to all the participants. Unfortunately, because of the risks involved there were only 5 spots available for people with disabilities at this event. He does intend to hold many more in the future and he’s working towards his own SCUBA certification to make that a reality. The work being done by Finkick and Adventures Beyond Barriers is providing hope to so many people with disabilities who yearn for an action-packed, active life. They’re proving every day that nothing can contain an adventurous spirit and there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
Take a look at how Adventures Beyond Borders trained for this day
If you want to dive in too, click here for tickets
Featured image courtesy of YouTube - Our Better World