This weekend DDI celebrated three years of activity in Portugal. The celebration took place in a city of the Algarve, called Tavira, thanks to the outstanding work and effort of people like Dr. António Almeida Pires who has believed in DDI and dive for all from the start supporting DDI Portugal in so many ways, making it possible for people like me to go and enjoy and feel the unquestionable benefits and pleasures of diving.

On the morning of the 22^nd we went diving to a spot called Pedra Rasteira with one of the DDI Dive Centers existent in Portugal, UDiving – Dive Center in Tavira. I went in the amazing company of my friends Mateus Mendonça, the responsible of the Dive Center, Vânia Jorge, member of the outstanding UDiving team, as well as Guilherme, our skipper, Flemming Thyge, Vice-President and Founder of DDI, Paulo Guerreiro, who represents DDI in Portugal and Ana Gago an OWD DDI diver like me.

Since my last dive on the 7^th of October I had great expectations on what I was going to feel and how my body and mind were going to respond and the effects of diving.

I must say that it was if I had dived the day before being guided by two DDI Instructors Mateus Mendonça and Paulo Guerreiro ( DDI IT ). Not only did I feel completely safe but with the indescribable sensation as if I was diving autonomously and without any help. Besides that I felt as one with the sea, because not only did I control the spasticity of my lip being at peace with the regulator, but the dive mask never came out of place as well as I no longer need to take weight on my feet since I now am able to keep my legs strait thanks to swimming and diving. Why is that? Because diving makes it possible to have more control and coordination of my bodies movements, as well as giving me the most wonderful and powerful sensation of “NO MIND” that makes what seams and is almost impossible ore very difficult become possible and easy.

So fiscally, philologically and socially diving is a powerful tool, because I see and feel its benefits, as do all those that interact with me, going step by step towards integration, not only because people see what we can do and start changing their perspective and beliefs regarding disabled, but also because all of the conditions necessary for tourism for all start slowly to come into place and being a reality.

I can only say: “Hope to go diving again, real soon!!!”

Dália Faria