Just recently I watched a video on this amazing website called ted.com, Deep Sea Diving in a Wheelchair, it consists of a series of interesting yet informational topics about all kinds of different things ranging from the Future of Cars to Deep Sea Diving in a Wheelchair. I watched the one where Sue Austin scuba dived in a wheelchair due to an extended illness. Sue expresses how she feels underwater and how she has a 360 degree range of motion. In the video she explains how before the wheelchair and scuba diving that she felt she had no freedom and she couldn't be independent at all. As soon as she got her wheelchair she said "It was like having an enormous new toy. I could whiz around and feel the wind in my face again. Just being out on the street was exhilarating." She's done a couple things with the wheelchair like putting paint on her wheels and making designs on the sidewalks. Both Scuba diving and her wheelchair give her a sense of closure to being diagnosed with her illness.
Since I am scuba certified I know how she feels. The only difference between me and Sue Austin, is that she has this awesome wheelchair with motors underneath that propel it forward; on the back of the wheelchair her scuba tank with the regulators (what you breathe out of) is connected so it doesn't sink to the bottom then connected to her feet so she can turn. Even though I am not disabled I still feel like I'm floating in air when in reality I'm 70 feet under. Being underwater is like being apart of a whole new world that many people never knew existed. Watching this video made me realize how lucky I have it. Even though I can't personally understand the struggles of being limited in my movements I can see why Sue Austin loves being underwater because for her it lets her move freely and not feel any different from the rest of us. In my own words I have to say that she is determined and brave because if something were to go wrong its hard to say what she would do. Besides the point she does what most normal people have never done or are too afraid to do.
Since I am scuba certified I know how she feels. The only difference between me and Sue Austin, is that she has this awesome wheelchair with motors underneath that propel it forward; on the back of the wheelchair her scuba tank with the regulators (what you breathe out of) is connected so it doesn't sink to the bottom then connected to her feet so she can turn. Even though I am not disabled I still feel like I'm floating in air when in reality I'm 70 feet under. Being underwater is like being apart of a whole new world that many people never knew existed. Watching this video made me realize how lucky I have it. Even though I can't personally understand the struggles of being limited in my movements I can see why Sue Austin loves being underwater because for her it lets her move freely and not feel any different from the rest of us. In my own words I have to say that she is determined and brave because if something were to go wrong its hard to say what she would do. Besides the point she does what most normal people have never done or are too afraid to do.