AMBER

Amber Rangel found her passion for water skiing when she was introduced to it at the age of eight. A decade of hard work later, at nineteen, she became a world-class barefoot skier, ranked 26th woman in the world. That year, while training for the Barefoot Water Ski national championship, an accident left Amber with a spinal cord injury, changing the course of her life.

During intensive recovery and therapy, as a full-level quadriplegic, what once gave her such joy, now terrified her, but she knew she had to get back to the water. After some searching, Amber decided to try scuba diving. She started by getting diving instruction in the pool, and then found Divehart, a non-profit that helps people with disabilities gain freedom through diving. Today, Amber is a certified Adaptive Scuba Diver who dives around the world in locations such as Mexico, Honduras and Iceland. Working with Divehart, her goal is to help introduce scuba therapy worldwide to others with disabilities.

When she’s not diving, Amber can be found working out at the gym, hitting the trail with her sister and her dog, or participating in a variety of outdoor sports activities through a non-profit organization, Adaptive Adventures. Her active lifestyle is full of adventure, but her passion will always remain in the water, where she now finds freedom.