Water
World Record at Lakshadweep
Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record is a global event where PWDs from across the world can sign up and participate.
A new World Record for ‘The largest team of People with Disabilities to Scuba Dive independently in open sea’ at Lakshadweep, India.
*Open for People with Disabilities from across the world
‘Special Forces’ is an instinct. Every human being has it. It operates from a mind space where faith, self-realization, skill, brotherhood, ability and freedom are the driving factors of focussed thought and effective action. Over time, it develops into a razor sharp ‘Survive, Stabilize and Thrive’ mindset by enduring life’s extreme challenges, repeatedly, by chance or by choice. Eventually realising that you can conquer. Anything. People who live on the cutting edges of humanity operate from this mind set. In this case people with disabilities, the veterans and skilled people and visionaries from across the world who are coming together to make this dream project a powerful reality
The Journey
Launch
Operation Blue Freedom was launched on 17 June 2019 by Team CLAW – a team of ex special forces soldiers from the Indian Armed Forces. The team is highly trained with multiple specialisations in Mountaineering, Skydiving, Scuba diving, Unarmed combat, Multi-terrain survival tech, Emergency Medical Response, etc.
Operation – Signifies the team’s Special Forces military background, approach and attitude to the mission at hand. Blue – Signifies our home, Earth. Freedom – Signifies the journey to pure Freedom for all – as individuals, collectively as humans, and for all life on Earth.
Training People with Disabilities
Operation Blue Freedom leverages high-end Adventure Sports activities like Scuba Diving, SkyDiving, and Mountaineering to showcase and mainstream the mutually complementing ‘Survive, Stabilize, and Thrive’ mindset of the Special Forces and PWDs.
On 1st July 2019, Team CLAW flagged off phase 1 of Operation Blue Freedom in India and conducted SCUBA diving camps for people with disabilities. The team conducted scuba diving camps across India and trained more than 100 PWDs (spinal cord paralysis) in Adaptive SCUBA diving and life skills. This propelled the team to set up the world’s first Aqua Human Ability Biome (A-HAB), an aqua research, rehabilitation and re-skilling facility for PWDs in Auroville, Pondicherry.
Water World Record Training – The selected participants of the Indian contingent for the Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record will be trained in Adaptive Scuba diving at A-HAB in Pondicherry.
Lakshadweep Recce
In February 2020, Team CLAW started exploring dive sites for the execution of the Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record. The team recced Lakshadweep islands for the execution of the Water World Record and conducted various training programmes for PWDs and also made it possible for a disabled woman from Lakshadeep to dive in the ocean independently.
For the first time in India, one person with disability trained another person with disability. This, being the core nucleus of Operation Blue Freedom’s vision – to create ecosystems for PWDs to rehabilitate, re-skill and empower was attained in Lakshadweep and set the balls rolling for the Water World Record.
Maldives Recce
As the idea and the concept of Operation Blue Freedom started connecting with people from across the world, it became furthermore important to create ecosystems across the globe for PWDs to come, rehabilitate and re-skill, so as to integrate themselves into the mainstream economy. In October 2020, Team CLAW visited Maldives, completed the recce for the dive sites and signed an MOU with the Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation (MITDC) for collaboration over the coming years.
“In addition to aiding the tourism industry, this event by CLAW is a sacred and humble step towards helping Special Needs Individuals as well. This would cause change in the overall outlook of the Maldivian Tourism Industry, earning respect in the face of the entire world.” — Managing Director of MITDC, Mr. Mohamed Raaidh
Global Participation Campaign
In coordination with the Lakshadweep Administration, Team CLAW will be executing the ‘Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record‘ in Lakshadweep Islands by a Global Team of People with Disabilities from 20 different countries during Feb – Mar 2021.
Previously, the team had successfully accomplished the ‘Operation Blue Freedom – Land World Record’ for the ‘largest number of people with disabilities to scale the world’s highest battlefield,’ which was the first of the three world records under ‘Operation Blue Freedom – Triple World Record’ series.
Unlike the Land World Record, where the participation of PWDs were limited to people from India, the Water World Record on the other hand will be a global event where PWDs from across the world can sign up and participate.
Water World Record Timelines
December 2021
Call for volunteer instructors and Dive buddies worldwide
Screening of Instructors, Volunteers, and participants worldwide
10 January 2022
Last Date of sign-up for people with disabilities worldwide
10 - 17 January 2022
Shortlist Instructors, Dive buddies and participants
17 January - 10 February 2022
Phase 1 Global Training - Training of global participants in their respective home countries
17 - 30 January 2022
Phase 1 Participant Training - Training of Indian contingent at Pondicherry/Auroville
Phase 1 Instructor Training - Instructor and Dive buddies’ orientation capsule at Pondicherry/Auroville
01 February 2022
Move of Advance-Team to Lakshadweep
01 - 10 February 2022
Phase 2 Participant Training - of local Lakshadweep Divers and participants from Lakshadweep
Phase 2 Instructor Training - Instructors and Dive buddies’ orientation capsule
Final Recce and Coordination – Lakshadweep
11 - 12 February 2022
Move to Kochi by Road – Road Expedition
13 February 2022
Move by ship from Kochi to Lakshadweep
14 February 2022
Arrival of participants at Lakshadweep
15 February 2022
Adm Day
16 February 2022
Launch of Water World Record
16 - 25 February 2022
Phase 2 Global Training
Phase 3 Training - Whole Team – Rehearsals
26 February 2022
Human Ability Conclave + Special Screening Unreleased Film – ‘Operation Blue Freedom – Genesis’ + Bonfire & Dinner by the shore
27 February 2022
Final World Record Event – ‘World’s Largest Team of People with Disabilities to SCUBA Dive Independently in Open Sea’ as part of the World’s largest International SCUBA Rehabilitation Program for Divyangjan
28February 2022
Reserve Day
Team CLAW invites the global community of PWDs to sign-up for the Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record.
FAQs
Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record is a part of the Operation Blue Freedom – Triple World Record series, where Team CLAW is training People with Disabilities from across the world in adaptive adventure activities, namely adaptive mountaineering, adaptive SCUBA diving, and adaptive skydiving.
The Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record is for the largest team of People with Disabilities to SCUBA dive independently in open seas.
Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record is scheduled for February 2022 at Lakshadweep Islands, India.
Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record is a global event and is open for People with Disabilities worldwide.
The disability profile will vary on a case by case basis pertinent to the participant clearing all the medical screening tests as advised by our team of experts.
Team CLAW has expertise in taking even neck down paralysed people under water and teaching them adaptive scuba diving. So, the ideal step after signing up for the world record event would be to write to us describing your disability condition in detail. Rest assured, our team of medical experts will guide you through the process.
Team CLAW’s aim is to offset the training and participation expenses of all the participants for the Water World Record by means of corporate partnerships and sponsorships. But the participants will have to cater for their to and fro travel, personal clothing and accessories, individual training, etc. Ideally, the participant should have a budget of INR 50,000 to 70,000 for the entire duration of the World Record event.
For participants who are unable to raise the above mentioned amount, we will guide them to channelise and raise funds through local support.
- Aadhar card (For Indian Participants)
- Passport (For International Participants)
- Disability Certificate
- Medical Test Certificates
- Covid Vaccination
- Certificate / RT PCR
- Have a general healthy lifestyle consisting of sleep, diet, and exercise
- Complete all the required documentations
- Purchase personal clothing and accessories required for the entire duration of the World Record Event.
A total of 50 participants (PWDs) from across the world will be selected following various physical, medical, and technical screening tests to partake in the Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record.
After completing the sign up process, one needs to complete his medical screening as prescribed by our team of medical experts and prepare all the required documents.
For international participants, once you are done with the above mentioned step, you are required to cater for your home country training and fundraising for the World Record event. You can reach out to us at [email protected] for questions/assistance regarding the same.
Operation Blue Freedom – Water World Record being a global event aimed at shattering the wrong perception of pity and charity towards People with Disabilities is not only for PWDs but for everyone. Disability exists in various forms and in everyone. The core of our vision is ‘Freedom’. Collective freedom for all. If you have the heart and spirit to see this vision through, you are welcome.
To start with, one can volunteer with us in the execution of the Water World Record, spread the word amongst PWD communities, sponsor participants coming from a poor background, etc.
You can also write to us at [email protected] explaining how you can help in taking our vision forward to empower PWDs worldwide.
