FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:

Szilvia Gogh, Founder, Miss Scuba 323.250.6925
[email protected]

Tai Collins , Executive Director, A Chance for Children, 310.849.3045
[email protected]

NEWS RELEASE

Youngest PADI Female Course Director Celebrates 15 Years Volunteering With At-Risk Youth

LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 2015 -- Szilvia Gogh was the youngest female in the world to be accepted to become a PADI Scuba Course Director in 2002. One day while teaching an Open Water Course, one of her students told Gogh about her volunteer work at A Chance For Children youth camp; a camp for at-risk children in Los Angeles, California. “I have always felt strongly about donating my time rather than money, and offered to teach the campers Discover Scuba,” said Gogh.

That was 15 years ago and counting. Gogh, who grew up in the Eastern Block nation of Hungary, knows firsthand about obstacles and challenges in life. She felt the need to volunteer and share her passion for diving with these children who come from some of the poorest communities in Los Angeles

Gogh learned that most of A Chance for Children campers lived their entire lives within a few miles of the Pacific Ocean, yet have never been to the beach, never owned a bathing suit and consequently never learned how to swim. “They jumped right into the pool without hesitation once they believed we would keep them safe,” said Gogh. “And when they surfaced after their underwater adventure they had the biggest smiles I had ever seen,” she said.

Szilvia teaches children regularly and learned that for a majority of her students, the one-hour PADI Discover Scuba course is just one of the many fun activities their parents schedule during the school break. After teaching diving to A Chance for Children campers for more than a decade, she learned that the same hour underwater turned out to be one the most thrilling experiences in their lives. After 15 years, it’s no mystery why this camp holds a very special meaning for Gogh.

“`Taking children underwater for the first time in their lives is always rewarding; teaching to the Chance for Children Campers is something I look forward to all year,” said Gogh, creator and owner of Miss Scuba.

“In some strange way I feel that I get more out of the interaction with these kids than they do,” said Gogh. “Working with these children and doing something fun for them fills me with a joy that is impossible to describe,” she said. “I am passionate about giving these children an experience they otherwise might never have a chance to try.”

Gogh also inspires the Chance for Children campers in other ways; sharing stories of her world travels and amazing diving adventures while reinforcing the philosophy evoked by Winston Churchill’s famous words “Never, never, never give up!” Inspired by working with A Chance for Children campers, Gogh created a “Never Give Up” dog tag necklace series. This necklace is much more than just a beautiful accessory; this piece, just like her work with A Chance for Children, holds a very special meaning for her.

Gogh is also a veteran Hollywood Stuntwoman/Safety Diver, adventure show host, yoga enthusiast and world traveler. She happily resides in Southern California and still follows her passions, as a new mother, scuba instructor and jewelry designer.

A Chance For Children

A Chance for Children strives to empower at-risk youth by providing the opportunities to set goals and the tools to achieve them. They fight to instill the belief that no child is limited by its surroundings or upbringing. By encouraging dreams and consistently exposing them to new experiences outside the dangers and struggles of their daily lives each child will have a chance for a better future.

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