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Sophie O'Dea became the youngest female Junior Master Diver

Listen to this article Young UK diving student Sophie O’Dea has become the youngest woman to be certified as a Junior Master Diver. She accomplished this feat at the age of just twelve years and one day. Sophie O’Dea is a youth ambassador for SSI, YDN and Canary Divers. And according to government guidelines from

ByMarcin Pawełczyk

Published: April 13, 2021 - 09:00

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 22:22

Sophie O’Dea became the youngest female Junior Master Diver

Listen to this article

Young UK diving student Sophie O’Dea has become the youngest woman to be certified as a Junior Master Diver.

She accomplished this feat at the age of just twelve years and one day. Sophie O’Dea is a youth ambassador for SSI, YDN and Canary Divers. And according to government guidelines from DCMS, she falls into the ‘elite athlete’ category. This enabled her, along with her instructor Kris Fearnley from Canary Divers, to continue training throughout the lockdown.

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When the girl completed her training with the Stress and Rescue course, her instructor said:

It was a very intense few days, with probably the most difficult conditions for Stress and Rescue training. It was snowing and the water was very cold, so we had to use thick gloves and hoods and several layers of thermal protection. Sophie proved to be a real trooper and went through every scenario we prepared for her. However, she found out how difficult it can be. Just take a look at this photo taken immediately after carrying her stepfather out of the water and performing CPR.

Despite her young age, in the diving world the girl is not an anonymous person. Last year she gave herself get to know the wider publicThe event was a fundraiser for the local hospital. Of course everything was done in diving style!

It is also worth mentioning that as a diving ambassador, Sophie O’Dea took part in a live lecture for students from 20 UK schools. During the lecture she talked about diving, training and a career in the diving industry. The whole event was watched by over 15,000 people in total.

About author

Marcin Pawełczyk

Marcin’s journey with diving has been an adventure. Starting as a recreational diver, he soon found himself drawn to the fascinating stories and mysteries of Baltic wrecks. After gaining experience, Marcin decided to go beyond just leisurely exploration and took his training up a notch by completing the TMX course, allowing him to explore even deeper and uncover the secrets of inaccessible places. His next challenge has been cave diving, where he is honing his skills to become a certified diver. Not content to simply take in the breathtaking beauty of underwater life, Marcin has also embraced underwater photography since 2018, capturing stunning shots that bring these worlds alive for those who are unable to experience them first-hand. Marcin’s passion for the underwater has taken him far and is sure to continue doing so as he dives into new depths and captures breathtaking images.