Diveheart - Divers with Disabilities Find Peace in the Water
Our speakers for our October 23rd meeting, Jim Elliott and Tinamarie Hernandez, were featured in the cover story of Rotary Magazine's August 2025 issue. The organization they run, Diveheart, helps children, veterans and others with disabilities through adaptive scuba opportunities and scuba therapy.
One of their students mentioned in the Rotary magazine article, Amber Rangel, who was paralyzed in a waterski accident, lives in the Rockford area and sne is hoping to attend the meeting as well. She currently substitute teaches in RPS205 and may not be able to miss work that day.
Jim Elliott left a successful career in the media business to launch Diveheart a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization that helps build confidence and independence in children, veterans and others with disabilities through zero gravity and Scuba Therapy. Diveheart seeks to instill the can-do spirit in its participants. Diveheart doesn’t discriminate when it comes to working with people with disabilities and serves cognitively and physically impaired individuals worldwide.
Since 2001 Elliott, who is a volunteer with no salary, has initiated Scuba Therapy research with university medical centers around the country, including the first study on Autism and Scuba Therapy and the world’s most innovative Adaptive Scuba Training program for instructors, dive buddies and Adaptive Divers. He also lectures and trains dive professionals in the “Business of Adaptive Scuba”.
Tinamarie Hernandez is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, helping them recognize their unique value and embrace their potential. After a 26-year career in technology consulting at Accenture, she transitioned full-time into nonprofit leadership as Executive Director of Diveheart. In this role, she has devoted her passion and expertise to creating opportunities for individuals of all abilities to experience freedom, confidence, and healing through adaptive scuba diving.
With a deep commitment to building inclusive communities, Tinamarie has helped expand the Diveheart reach across the globe. She has shared her message of hope and healing at over 50 leading institutions and conferences, including the Mayo Clinic, and was most recently honored as an Everyday Disability Hero at the 2024 Springboard Consulting Disability Matters North American Conference & Awards.
Her work is rooted in a simple belief: everyone has the ability to redefine their story when given the right tools and encouragement. Tinamarie’s message uplifts, inspires, and reminds us that hope can often surface in the most unexpected places—sometimes, even underwater.
This will be an interesting and informative program and one you will want to bring a friend or prospective member to join us in person at Memorial Hall or via Zoom.
President Paul will introduce our presenters and act as Rotary Host.