By DIVE Staff
PADI has announced acclaimed Indian actress and singer – and PADI Advanced Open Water Diver – Parineeti Chopra, as the latest member of its AmbassaDiver programme.
Chopra, who says she has always loved the ocean, took her first breaths underwater in Bali in 2013. She earned her PADI Open Water Diver certification later that year in Palau, since when she has inspired friends, family and some of her 67 million social media followers to try scuba diving so they can ‘join her in seeking adventure and saving the ocean.’
‘The first time I came up to the surface after diving, I was crying because it was such a life-changing experience,’ said Ms Chopra. ‘It is now something I can’t live without. I make sure I do a diving trip every three months despite my work schedule because it is my form of meditation. And it is the place I am immensely passionate about protecting.’
‘We are all equal underwater and all speak the same language,’ said Ms Chopra. ‘Over the years I have seen the changes that have taken place beneath the surface. During my time as a brand ambassador for Tourism Australia, I witnessed the bleaching and damage that has occurred to the Great Barrier Reef. I was so sad to see this and am now committed to being a diver with a purpose. I have also seen first-hand how marine reserves, like the ones in Sipadan, Malaysia and Palau, prove how valuable marine protected areas are. As a PADI Diver, I want to make sure that our entire blue planet gets the protection it deserves.’
With more than 67 million social media followers and having recently starred in the Netflix Hindi adaptation of the 2016 movie The Girl on the Train, Chopra becomes the latest celebrity influencer to join PADI’s AmbassaDiver programme.
‘A PADI AmbassaDiver is someone who is passionate about using their force for good to encourage others to protect our blue planet,’ says Kristin Valette Wirth, PADI’s Chief Brand and Membership Officer. ‘We could not have found a more respected and authentic partner as Ms. Chopra, a long time ocean lover, to advance our shared mission of saving the ocean.’
Ms Chopra plans to become a PADI Mermaid during 2022 and participate in citizen science projects during her dive trips around the world. You can follow her dive adventures, projects and conservation efforts with PADI on her Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds. To learn more about the PADI AmbassaDiver team visit www.padi.com/ambassadivers.
