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Transcript/ScriptUS - WOMEN IN SCUBA
HEADLINE: Women's Scuba Diving Community Challenges Surface Assumptions on Sex, Race, Age
TEASER: They want to make this predominantly male sport more friendly to women
PUBLISHED AT: 3/18/24, 8:49 am
BYLINE: Genia Dulot
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Panama
VIDEOGRAPHER: Genia Dulot
VIDEO EDITOR:
ASSIGNING EDITOR: Stearns
SCRIPT EDITORS: sb, Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE: VOA Original
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV __ RADIO __
TRT: 2:47
VID APPROVED BY: pcd
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO:))
[[The Scuba Mar Maids dive community unites women of different ages, races and backgrounds over a shared a passion for the underwater world. VOA’s Genia Dulot reports from Panama, where she joined some of these women on a dive. ]]
((VIDEO: Thomas and girls going through navigation class on land, then shot of them on the boat and jumping into the water))
((NARRATION))
Scuba diving instructor Maira Thomas gives a navigation refresher class to a group of women from the United States. She brought them to Panama to explore the underwater wonders of Coiba National Park.
Scuba diving is a predominantly male sport, says Thomas, who tailors her instruction to women.
((Maira Thomas, Scuba Diving Instructor))
“How to teach women, how to incorporate some of the knowledge and skills specifically to women. // And also being a little bit more caring, because I feel like women need a little bit more care."
((VIDEO: Shots of Thomas on the boat, under the water and carrying scuba tanks))
((NARRATION))
Thomas, a scuba professional for 15 years, says she was often turned down for jobs for being female. Potential employers argued that she couldn’t carry heavy tanks or might get too emotional in an extreme situation.
((VIDEO: Thomas and girls on the boat and underwater))
To help more women get involved in scuba diving, she started Scuba Mar Maids several years ago. Based mostly in the U.S. it’s an online community of women who travel and dive together.
((VIDEO: Shots of Benjamin putting the scuba gear on and under the water))
Stephanie Benjamin, a police officer from the U.S. state of Texas, says scuba diving is an escape from the stress of her work.
((Stephanie Benjamin, Scuba Diver))
“Scuba diving is so calming. Being in the ocean is so chill. You just go down there, you hang out with a turtle, you breathe. You don’t have to talk to anybody. You are like, ‘Wow, look at all these fishes!’ It’s like traveling to Mars. It’s wild. It’s wild, ‘I am with a shark!’”.
((VIDEO: Shots of Green jumping in the water and scuba diving))
((NARRATOR))
Lauren Green, a swim teacher from Kansas City, Missouri, in the U.S., says people often are surprised when she tells them that she scuba dives.
((Lauren Green, Scuba Diver))
“I think for me the opportunity to show other young Black women, like, 'hey, I am diving, I am a Black woman that dives, you can do this too. Don’t be afraid.' // All you have to do is to put in the work, put in time, obtain the knowledge.”
((VIDEO: Shots of Cole putting the gear on and scuba diving))
((NARRATOR))
Gayle Cole, a nurse practitioner from Texas, got certified as a scuba diver about two years ago at age 59. She says she needs to work hard to stay in shape for diving, but her age is not stopping her.
((Gayle Cole, Scuba Diver))
“I believe with my whole heart that how old you are is chronological and you can’t change the year you were born. 'Old' is psychological, and in my head, I am about 35, so I could be diving for another 35 years.”
((VIDEO: Women scuba diving in pink outfits))
((NARRATOR))
In just a few years, the Mar Maid community grew from 80 women to almost five thousand. Members say wearing pink underwater is their way of showing that they're strong, adventurous women.
((Genia Dulot, VOA News, Panama))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMarch 18, 2024 14:59 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
