Rona was born to non-diving parents, yet on a family holiday to the Costa Brava, her snorkelling instructor noticed her fish-like nature, and told her father she should take it further. In December 2015, Rona became a Junior Open Water Diver through Clitheroe’s Reefers and Wreckers Dive Centre, completing her dives in bitterly cold conditions at Capernwray.
Following her success in England, Rona went on her first dive trip to Gozo, where she won the hearts of the team at Atlantis Dive Centre. She then racked up specialties such as Project AWARE, Navigation Diver, Drysuit Diver, Underwater Photographer and Underwater Videographer, and Deep Diver, as well as returning to Gozo on another dive trip.
On 23 April 2017 – which also happened to be her 12th birthday – Rona completed 50 dives and earned her Junior Advanced Open Water Diver cert. Rescue Diver then followed, and in July 2017, she gained her Junior Master Scuba Diver qualification. She has now surpassed 70 dives after clocking up another ten dives in the Florida Keys in April.
“Rona is extremely passionate about diving, and wishes to progress to becoming an instructor when she is older, with a special interest in teaching children, in order to emulate the mentors and teachers who took her through her first few steps,” explained her parents.
Rona hopes to spread awareness both personally and through social media once she is old enough to have her own channels. She plans to become involved with PADI Project AWARE, and wishes to be a part of the UNESCO One Planet, One Ocean Project to help preserve Underwater Cultural Heritage.
