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November 19, 2022
Location: Denver Adaptive Divers, Denver, CO Hosted by: River Deep Foundation Participating Groups: Operation TBI Freedom Try SCUBA The participants had a fun night in the pool learning the basics of SCUBA diving. Bob Adwar Executive Director, River Deep Foundation Chairman, SCI Humanitarian Outreach
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Date: February 27, 2022 Location: Denver Adaptive Divers Hosted by: River Deep Foundation Participating Groups: Ft. Carson SRU, VA, Colorado School of Mines Try SCUBA
A group of veterans and Colorado School of Mines engineering student were in the pool to learn the basics of SCUBA diving in a safe and fun environment. The students joined us as part of the project they are working on through the Quality of Life Plus organization. They are helping to develop a device that will monitor heartbeat and blood pressure in real time while diving. The goal is to better understand the benefits of SCUBA diving for those suffering with TSD, TBI, migraine headaches and other emotional and physical issues. Thank you to the Denver Adaptive Divers staff for another fantastic experience! Date: January 22, 2022
Location: Denver Adaptive Divers Hosted by: River Deep Foundation Participating Groups: VA, Operation TBI Freedom, Ft. Carson SRU Try SCUBA The group had fun night enjoying the calming effects of the pool while they learned the basics of SCUBA diving. For the most of the participants this was their first time, except for one whose last dive trip was a few years ago and he was excited to get back in the water. We love to hear that the group had a positive experience tonight and are interesting in moving forward to learn more! Date: November 27- December 5, 2021
Location: The Island of Bonaire Hosted by: Denver Adaptive Divers, RDF Alliance Member Dive Trip with Denver Adaptive Divers In 2020, River Deep Foundation began working with the non-profit Denver Adaptive Divers (DAD) allowing our clients (veterans and other individuals with disabilities) to Try SCUBA diving in a safe, supportive environment. DAD has since become part of our alliance of like-minded non-profits who share, ideas and support and resources. Clients who participate in a Try SCUBA class are guided through the basics and work one-on-one with an instructor in the pool to help them get experience breathing underwater. For those who want to continue diving, they may qualify to join Denver Adaptive Divers on an open water dive trip. Samuel Hahn, a client of Operation TBI Freedom (another Alliance Member) and River Deep Foundation did just that. From November 27- December 5, 2021 a DAD group of 30 traveled to Bonaire, located in the Dutch islands off the coast of Venezuela. The group consisted of Denver Adaptive Diver participants, dive buddies and other support staff. While some on the trip suffer with MS or spinal cord injuries sustained in civilian accidents, Samuel is a military veteran and combat medic with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was injured while attached to the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), and was involved in a roll-over accident when an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) exploded next to their vehicle. In his daily life he struggles with chronic pain, from spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Bipolar 1 disorder, PTSD and migraine headaches. He describes being weightless in the water as a wonderful way to distract him from the pain and redirect his negative energy. SCUBA diving requires mindful breathing and disciplined movements that are much like his practice of yoga and meditation in how they effectively calm and regulate his body. Through an interview process with Denver Adaptive Divers Hahn was thrilled to quality to go on the trip and obtain his Open Water Certificate through a scholarship from DAD. Hahn found his time in the ocean exhilarating! He was mesmerized by the marine life and enjoyed encountering the diverse and beautiful underwater ecosystems. While he finds the water very calming, social interaction can be stressful for him, so traveling with a group had its own challenges. He found, however, that the time with others was healing and the entire trip allowed him to recharge in a way that continues to benefit him upon his return. Hahn continues to utilize the pool at DAD when he needs to regulate. He looks forward to continuing with his journey, perhaps becoming a Certified Adaptive Buddy. He has participated in other River Deep Foundation outings like Fly Fishing, Fencing and attending a Wild Game Cooking Class and looks forward to further engagement with the activities and community they offer. We encourage other RDF clients to Try SCUBA and see if it has the same effect for them! A video of the participants diving, with a voice-over about their experience can be found at bit.ly/Bonaire2021. Date: October 23, 2021 Location: Denver Adaptive Divers Hosted by: River Deep Foundation Participating Groups: Operation TBI Freedom & Ft. Carson SRU Try SCUBA It was another successful outing with the participants in the pool learning SCUBA skills from the wonderful instructors. A participant's service dog was so excited to be around all the activity in the pool and probably wishes he could be a dive buddy! This was a great first dive experience for everyone and they are interested in continuing their SCUBA training. A big thank you to Denver Adaptive Divers and all of their great staff! Bob Adwar Executive Director, River Deep Foundation Chairman, SCI Humanitarian Outreach Program 
Date: September 18, 2021 Location: Denver Adaptive Divers, Denver CO Hosted by: River Deep & SCIHOP Participating Groups: Operation TBI Freedom & Ft. Carson SRU Try SCUBA with Denver Adaptive Divers This SCUBA outing was a great opportunity for the participating veterans to have fun and get some experience diving. Each veteran got one-on-one instruction in the pool, learning some techniques for a successful dive in open water. A few of the participants enjoyed SCUBA diving so much that they intend to continue on and obtain their open water certification! A big thank you to all of the wonderful staff at Denver Adaptive Divers! Bob Adwar Executive Director, River Deep Foundation Chairman, SCI Humanitarian Outreach Program
Date: August 14, 2021 Location: Denver Divers Hosted by: River Deep Foundation & SCIHOP Participating Groups: Operation TBI Freedom & Ft. Carson SRU, VA Try SCUBA with Denver Adaptive Divers The swimming pool was full this evening with veterans who were excited to learn about SCUBA diving and see what it's like to breathe underwater! The Denver Adaptive Diver instructors are highly trained and experienced so they make sure everyone is safe and having a good time while learning basic diving skills. At the end of the class the participants were asked about their experience, how they enjoyed their time underwater and if they would like to continue with future instruction. Everyone answered yes! A big thank you Denver Adaptive Divers and their wonderful staff. Bob Adwar Executive Director, River Deep Foundation Chairman, River Deep Alliance Program Board President, Anglers of Honor Chairman, SCI Humanitarian Outreach Program
Date: July 24, 2021 Location: Denver Adaptive Divers Hosted by: River Deep Foundation & SCIHOP Participating Groups: Operation TBI Freedom & Ft. Carson SRU Try SCUBA For today's outing, we had four veterans ready to try SCUBA diving for the first time! The staff at Denver Adaptive Divers provided in-depth instruction to ensure that everyone was able to have a safe and fun experience! All of the veterans had a wonderful time and a few even said they wanted to go to the next phase of the program and obtain their open-water dive certification. A big, big thank you to everyone that participated and the Denver Adaptive Divers for taking the time to teach our veterans a new skill! Denver Adaptive Divers will be conducting a pilot program/study to dig further into the benefits of SCUBA and how based on anecdotal evidence, it seems to help with symptoms of PTSD and TBI. We looking forward to hearing more about what they discover! Bob Adwar, Executive Director, River Deep Foundation Chairman, SCI Humanitarian Outreach Program
Date: April 24, 2021 Location: Denver Adaptive Divers (DAD), Denver, CO Hosted by: River deep Foundation and Denver SCIHOP Participating Groups: Operation TBI Freedom, Fort Carson SRU and Quality of Life Plus Try SCUBA We had a big group of veterans at this outing anxious to try SCUBA! The group was first introduced to the basics and what to expect before we went into to the pool. Each person worked one-on-one with an instructor. The expert staff at Denver Adaptive Divers is dedicated to making sure each everyone is safe, first and foremost but also having a good time while learning new skills. In talking with the veterans who came today, they are all interested in continuing on to the next level of instruction. I look forward to meeting with the staff at DAD to better understand the health healing aspects of SCUBA. We are thrilled to have this new partnership and to open up this new opportunity for our clients. Bob Adwar President, River Deep Foundation VP, Anglers of Honor Humanitarian Chairman, Denver SCI
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