Wednesday, July 16, 2025
MediaNews4U
  • Exclusive
  • Advertising
  • Media
    • Radio
    • Cable & DTH
    • Print
    • Digital Frontier
    • Gaming Nexus
  • Television
  • OTT
  • Ad-Tech
  • Marketing
  • Campaigns
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
    • Opinion
    • Think Through
    • Prescience 2023
    • Prescience 2024
  • People
  • Events
    • Leader Speak
    • STRAIGHT TALK
    • Gamechangers
    • Print & TV Summit
MediaNews4U
  • Exclusive
  • Advertising
  • Media
    • Radio
    • Cable & DTH
    • Print
    • Digital Frontier
    • Gaming Nexus
  • Television
  • OTT
  • Ad-Tech
  • Marketing
  • Campaigns
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
    • Opinion
    • Think Through
    • Prescience 2023
    • Prescience 2024
  • People
  • Events
    • Leader Speak
    • STRAIGHT TALK
    • Gamechangers
    • Print & TV Summit
MediaNews4U.com
Home Featured

Impassioned: Diving deep chasing childhood dreams – Padma Rao

The public relations professional who grew up wanting to be an oceanographer today competes in ocean swimming competitions, is a scuba diver, biker and marathoner.

by Neethu Mohan
July 29, 2023
in Featured, Exclusive, Impassioned
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
Impassioned: Diving deep chasing childhood dreams – Padma Rao
Share Share ShareShare

As a child, Padma Rao was fascinated by the ocean – its deepest depths, the mysteries it holds, and the surface waves. When she asked what she wanted to be when grown up, oceanographer was her answer. But like many of us, life had other plans for her. After graduating in zoology, Rao opted for a career in public relations, but she never let go of her childhood dreams. It grew with her and today, she is rekindling them and is on the journey of achieving those dreams one by one. Today Rao is an ocean swimmer, swimming coach, PADI Master Scuba Diver, biker, underwater photographer and a marathon runner.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I always had a love for oceans since childhood; maybe the natural inquisitiveness I had as a child wanted to explore the mysteries oceans held. To be an oceanographer – that was my ambition ever since school days. I wanted to study marine zoology and conservation. We put in our efforts towards a goal and then life happens and the option left is to go with the waves, hence I ended up doing a graduation course in zoology and landed in a job as a PR professional. It is not easy to let go of the dreams you held close to your heart as a child. Eventually I went on to become an athlete and now I’m a state level swimmer too. Today, scuba diving has taken me back to my childhood dreams, which feels great,” recalls Rao.

Rao, now employed with Wizspk Communication, has been taking professional swimming classes since 2015 under Rajesh Rane of H2O Marinetech. Currently she is a swimming coach at the swimming academy and also coaches her runner and rider friends at Shivaji Park, Mumbai.

“I have been swimming for the last 10 years and started official training in 2015. It is always good and satisfying to impart something to the community you are part of, to help your tribe grow. It is said that swimming can help reduce back pain. Hence Rane empowered me to start coaching women with ailments like that. I coach small girls in Dadar Club, as and when I get the opportunity. Teaching has been on and off, of late as I am focused on preparing for the swimming competitions. I participated in two sea swimming competitions this year – Malvan Sea Swimming Competition which is 3 kms and Goa Sea Swimming competition which is 2.4 kms. I strive to strike a balance between teaching some days and doing my drills on other days for the upcoming competitions,” says Rao.

The Deep Dive

Rao’s diving journey started in 2014.

“I am a PADI Master Scuba Diver and am also engaged in advocacy work in Andaman, I am connected with Andaman more than any part of the world. I did some ocean advocacy programmes in a school in South Andaman called Burmanallah School; the aim was to drive awareness on ocean conservation and coral awareness among school children. I have done different advanced courses related to scuba and diving from India and abroad,” Rao added.

She has done PADI Open Water – Barefoot Scuba in Andaman (Havelock); PADI Advanced Open Water – Temple Adventures in Puducherry; PADI Rescue Diver in Malapascua, Philippines; PADI Wreck Specialty – Coron Palawan in Phillipines; PADI Nitrox Diver from Sri Lanka; PADI Digital Underwater Photography from Maldives; PADI Underwater Naturalist & PADI Deep Diver from Pondicherry; and has fun dived in Bali, Thailand and Dubai.

“As part of community building, I recently launched a Facebook group called ‘Bombay Divers Association’ and a WhatsApp group called ‘Bombay Duck Divers’ to drive in more community growth and connect amongst divers in Mumbai – seasoned senior divers and new entrants – to discuss all things scuba. I am a rider and launched a community building concept called #ridetodive wherein bikers ride to dive destinations, scuba and engage with the dive community and build a network of divers who should be riding and vice versa,” Rao says.

Asked about a memorable incident while diving, Rao recalls, “I was diving in Puducherry a few years back. I am an underwater photographer and enjoy it. I was shooting and a lionfish came close to my face. It was staring at me and wherever I was moving it followed me throughout the shoot, and I made friends with a lionfish! It is a memory that’s etched in my heart.”

Rao, who is also a marathon runner, drives fitness amidst riders and shares tips on running and drives them towards marathons. She is also part of communities which are into beach clean-ups on a regular basis. She is part of different biking clubs in Mumbai including LRMC (Lazy Rangers Motorcycle Club) and Bikers Cause foundation

“As part of the club activities, we ride to orphanages and ashrams, we meet children and give them gifts, meet the elderly and spend time with them. We’re committed to the cause of helping each other, helping those in need and giving back to society,” she adds.

“Running, swimming, biking, scuba keeps me grounded and helps me impart positivity and happiness to people through what I do,” Rao concludes.

Feedback: [email protected]

Tags: ImpassionedoceanographyPadma RaoScuba Diving

RECENT POSTS

At Hero Realty, we believe sustainability and smart living are expectations, not add-ons: Karan Kumar
Exclusive

At Hero Realty, we believe sustainability and smart living are expectations, not add-ons: Karan Kumar

July 16, 2025
0

Hero Realty is the real estate arm of business group Hero Enterprise. Based on group values of Trust, Care and...

Read more
Generative AI transforms enterprise video into scalable on-demand production: Karan Ahuja, AiVANTA
Exclusive

Generative AI transforms enterprise video into scalable on-demand production: Karan Ahuja, AiVANTA

July 15, 2025
0

AiVANTA is an enterprise-grade AI video platform powered by a secure, seamless, and scalable hyper-personalisation engine. Designed to integrate with...

Read more
“Mass Appeal, Niche Depth”: Lloyd Xavier Explains ZEE5’s Strategy to Engage Tamil and Malayalee Viewers Worldwide
Exclusive

“Mass Appeal, Niche Depth”: Lloyd Xavier Explains ZEE5’s Strategy to Engage Tamil and Malayalee Viewers Worldwide

July 14, 2025
0

In a bold step toward redefining its positioning in India’s rapidly evolving OTT landscape, ZEE5 has unveiled a refreshed brand...

Read more
Keeping up is table stakes; architecting for change is the real challenge: Sameer Sankhe
Exclusive

Keeping up is table stakes; architecting for change is the real challenge: Sameer Sankhe

July 14, 2025
0

Targetting Indian businesses seeking to outpace the competition, Sameer Sankhe, a Chief Digital Officer and serial tech entrepreneur, unveils his...

Read more
At Sony Music Publishing India, we safeguard songwriters' rights with copyright management and fair royalty collection: Dinraj Shetty
Exclusive

At Sony Music Publishing India, we safeguard songwriters’ rights with copyright management and fair royalty collection: Dinraj Shetty

July 11, 2025
0

As the global music community comes together to celebrate World Music Day on 21 June, we often focus on the...

Read more
Brand advocacy involves stakeholders sharing content and views on brands and categories: Ajit Narayan, Socxo
Exclusive

Brand advocacy involves stakeholders sharing content and views on brands and categories: Ajit Narayan, Socxo

July 10, 2025
0

There is a growing trend of B2B influencers and employee generated content. Platforms like Linkedin and even Instagram are now...

Read more

LATEST NEWS

41% of Advertising & Marketing Professionals Fear AI May Diminish Creativity: Naukri.com Report

41% of Advertising & Marketing Professionals Fear AI May Diminish Creativity: Naukri.com Report

July 16, 2025
MY FM unveils Season 3 of ‘Haritwari’ in Maharashtra; Records 22K+ Footfall, 1M+ Digital Reach

MY FM unveils Season 3 of ‘Haritwari’ in Maharashtra; Records 22K+ Footfall, 1M+ Digital Reach

July 16, 2025

ANALYSIS

41% of Advertising & Marketing Professionals Fear AI May Diminish Creativity: Naukri.com Report
Analysis

41% of Advertising & Marketing Professionals Fear AI May Diminish Creativity: Naukri.com Report

July 16, 2025
0

Mumbai: Career platform Naukri.com has unveiled its latest report titled “AI: Friend, Foe or Frenemy” on the occasion of World...

PEOPLE

Centricity WealthTech Appoints Gaurav Singh as Chief People and Culture Officer
People

Centricity WealthTech Appoints Gaurav Singh as Chief People and Culture Officer

July 16, 2025
0

Mumbai: Centricity WealthTech, India’s fastest-growing tech-enabled wealth management start-up, has announced the appointment of Gaurav Singh as its Chief People...

MARKETING

PhysicsWallah Appoints Satish Sharma as Chief Marketing Officer to Spearhead Brand Expansion
Marketing

PhysicsWallah Appoints Satish Sharma as Chief Marketing Officer to Spearhead Brand Expansion

July 16, 2025
0

New Delhi,Leading edtech platform PhysicsWallah (PW) has announced the appointment of Satish Sharma as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO),...

Subscribe to Newsletters

ADVERTISING

WPP appoints Accenture Song’s Baiju Shah as Global CEO of AKQA
Advertising

WPP appoints Accenture Song’s Baiju Shah as Global CEO of AKQA

July 15, 2025
0

London: WPP, the world’s largest marketing and communications group, has appointed Baiju Shah as the new Global CEO of AKQA,...

PRINT

Inside the Minds of India’s Newsroom CEOs: Strategy, Soul, and Surviving Disruption
Print

Inside the Minds of India’s Newsroom CEOs: Strategy, Soul, and Surviving Disruption

July 10, 2025
0

Mumbai: On Day 1 of the INMA South Asia News Media Festival Conference 2025, the spotlight was firmly on the...

AUTHOR'S CORNER

Why Outcome-Based Pricing is Disrupting the Agency Model
Authors Corner

Why Outcome-Based Pricing is Disrupting the Agency Model

July 16, 2025
0

Clients don’t want effort—they want results For over a century, the agency model has been built on one simple exchange:...

UPLIFT MEDIANEWS4U DIGITAL PVT LTD
No. 194B , Aram Nagar 2, JP Road,
Versova, Andheri West
Mumbai - 400061

For editorial queries:
[email protected]
[email protected]

For business queries:
Smitha Sapaliga - +91-98337-15455
[email protected]

Recent News

Maate’s campaign

Maate’s #EffectiveBabyCare Campaign — A Bold Wake-Up Call for Modern Parents

July 16, 2025
41% of Advertising & Marketing Professionals Fear AI May Diminish Creativity: Naukri.com Report

41% of Advertising & Marketing Professionals Fear AI May Diminish Creativity: Naukri.com Report

July 16, 2025
MY FM unveils Season 3 of ‘Haritwari’ in Maharashtra; Records 22K+ Footfall, 1M+ Digital Reach

MY FM unveils Season 3 of ‘Haritwari’ in Maharashtra; Records 22K+ Footfall, 1M+ Digital Reach

July 16, 2025

Newsletter

Subscribe to Newsletters

Medianews4u.com © 2019 - 2024 All rights reserved.

  • The South Side Story 2023 Download Report
  • Goafest 2023: Day 3
  • Goafest 2023: Day 2
  • Goafest 2023: Day 1
  • Straight Talk Gallery 2022
  • The South Side Story 2022 Download Report
  • Focus 2022
  • Futurescope Conclave Gallery 2022
  • The South Side Story 2021 Download Report
  • FOCUS 2021
  • Exclusive
  • Exclusive
  • Advertising
  • Media
    • Radio
    • Cable & DTH
    • Print
    • Digital Frontier
    • Gaming Nexus
  • Television
  • OTT
  • Ad-Tech
  • Marketing
  • Campaigns
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
    • Opinion
    • Think Through
    • Prescience 2023
    • Prescience 2024
  • People
  • Events
    • Leader Speak
    • STRAIGHT TALK
    • Gamechangers
    • Print & TV Summit

Medianews4u.com © 2019 - 2024 All rights reserved.