Veterans and Students with Disabilities Dive into a New Adventure with the Aquarium of the Pacific

By Marilyn Padilla

USC - Los Angeles, CA - Aquarium of the Pacific and Diveheart to bring the weightless world of SCUBA diving to students with disabilities & wounded veterans on Friday, Jan. 16 at USC.

For the first time, students and veterans with disabilities will discover the weightless world of SCUBA diving. Many will leave their wheel chairs behind as they dive into a new adventure. On Friday, January 16, 2009 the Aquarium of the Pacific, Diveheart, and Cody Unser’s First Step will be taking the adult and teen participants with disabilities into the water to explore diving. Media are invited to witness participants plunge into this new experience.

WHERE:        University of Southern California / Physical Education Building Indoor Pool 
3560 Watt Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089 / Entrance #8 Jefferson Blvd (see map)
Suggested Parking: Parking lot #A 

WHO:        - College students with disabilities from USC’s Swim with Mike program, benefiting Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund 
- Veterans with disabilities from throughout LA County 
-Teens with disabilities from Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach 
- Eric Castillo, Aquarium of the Pacific Dive Safety Department. Castillo spearheaded the idea of working with Diveheart to make this program possible.   
- Jim Elliott, founder, Diveheart. His nonprofit promotes and facilitates diving and snorkeling for people with disabilities around the world. 
- Cody Unser, founder, Cody Unser’s First Step. This college student is the daughter of race car driver Al Unser Jr. and became paralyzed at age 12. Her nonprofit introduces wounded veterans to diving and more. 
- Jorge Enriguez, a diver and former New Mexico University football player who became disabled during his NFL draft shortly after graduation, Spanish spokesperson 

PARTNERS: For more information on...          

Diveheart:                        www.diveheart.org  
Cody Unser’s First Step:        www.cufsf.org  
USC’s Swim with Mike:        www.swimwithmike.org
Miller Children’s Hospital:        www.memorialcare.org/miller/        

AQUARIUM:        After their introduction to diving, the Discover SCUBA participants will be honored in a special public ceremony during the Aquarium of the Pacific’s annual Festival of Human Abilities, which takes place on January 24 and 25. Cody Unser, a college student who became paralyzed at the age of 12, will also be honored with the Aquarium’s 2009 Heritage Award at the festival for her dedication to helping others with disabilities through her nonprofit, Cody Unser’s First Step. Festival participants will be able to visit information booths from Discover SCUBA partners: Diveheart, Cody Unser’s First Step, and Swim with Mike. The Aquarium’s festival celebrates the talents of people with disabilities with special awards presentations and music and dance performances and art demonstrations by people with disabilities. For more information on the festival, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org  

This program at USC is only open to the media with an RSVP. However, the general public is invited to the Aquarium of the Pacific's Festival of Human Abilities on the weekend of Jan. 24 &25, 2009.

Photo:  Cody Unser who's nonprofit works with veterans with disabilities to introduce them to SCUBA diving.

Photo Credit: Albuquerque the Magazine