Atsuko Kuwana relies on a wheelchair to get around, but since moving to Hawaii and taking up scuba diving four years ago, she has experienced movement in a whole new way
"Everyone is pretty much the same under the water — we are all basically 'disabled,' as we can't talk, hear or run," she says. "Of course, I need extra help to get in and out of the water, but once I dive in, it's so peaceful down there."
A breech baby, Kuwana suffered a spinal cord injury when her mother went into labor unexpectedly and had to give birth in an unfamiliar hospital. Her mobility issues, however, have never stopped Kuwana from pursuing and creating opportunities to propel herself forward in life.