Article by Kirsty John, Chartered Legal Executive
On Friday 25 March I was lucky enough to survive my highly anticipated encounter with sharks – with all limbs remaining intact and without becoming shark bait! All jokes aside – I am so glad that I had the opportunity to participate in the shark dive.
It was such an incredible experience and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to dive on behalf of the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).
The SIA is such an amazing charity that makes a huge difference to people who have suffered life changing spinal injuries. The support they offer is incredible and focuses on not only the physical difficulties surrounding a spinal injury but also the mental health side of such an injury. I couldn’t be prouder to be raising money to support their work.
The experience was around two and a half hours in total, with two hours of training and a half hour dive afterwards. In the training leading up to the dive I learnt a lot about the types of sharks in the tank and received tips of the do’s and don’ts of scuba diving. The instructor was really friendly and provided a lot of information about the sharks that we were going to be diving with. It was really interesting and I learnt a lot about sharks that I didn’t know.
When in the tank, I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with a variety of different sharks including sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, zebra sharks, black tip reef sharks and bamboo sharks. They are the most incredible creatures, and even though I should have probably been nervous I was nothing but in awe of the experience and my surroundings.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has already sponsored me – it really does mean a great deal to me and to the SIA! For anyone who didn’t manage to donate but would like to do so, I’ve included the link to my Just Giving page.
Cari Sowden-Taylor, Partner in the Neurolaw team at Hugh James commented:
“Kirsty has raised a fantastic amount of money for the Spinal Injuries Association and it’s great to hear that she has had a wonderful experience at the same time! As specialist spinal injury solicitors and partners of the SIA, we understand the importance fundraising which enables the charity to provide vital support to individuals and families after spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries turn peoples’ lives upside down and the support provided by the SIA is a lifeline to many people. I really admire Kirsty’s bravery for taking part in this challenge and applaud her for the fundraising she has achieved.”
If you would like more information about our specialist spinal injury legal services, please contact us on 02922 67 58 70 or [email protected].