The Gymnast Who Became a PADI Pro
Courtesy Zoe CotterillGrowing up far from the ocean, Cotterill seemed an unlikely winner of the PADI MSD Challenge. But she poured herself into her training and is now working toward PADI Instructor.
Zoe Cotterill is simply unstoppable. The British gymnast has recently shifted her focus from winning competitions to furthering her diving education. Zoe says, “I had always loved watching Steve Backshall on TV and was amazed watching him scuba dive, but hadn’t given much thought to the fact that I could do that.”
So how does a gymnast who lives hours from the nearest coastline become a scuba fanatic? It started in the summer of 2023 on a trip to Cairns, Australia for Zoe’s 18th birthday and her mom’s retirement. “Naturally we had to visit the Great Barrier Reef,” Zoe explains.
It was a pivotal time for Zoe; she was entering her final year of school and contemplating university to study marine biology. Two dives on the Great Barrier Reef during a PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience settled Zoe’s decision. She says, “The experience had focused my mind, and I knew then I wanted to pursue a life underwater straight away.”
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Courtesy Zoe Cotterill
In January 2024, Zoe and her mom, Deb (58), completed their PADI Open Water Scuba Diver certifications in Tenerife, Spain. Deb had returned to diving after a 30-year break, repeating her dive training to regain her confidence. While Zoe’s dad—and Deb’s husband—Nigel, doesn’t join the pair on their underwater adventures, he supports them with their dive logistics. Back from Tenerife, Zoe enrolled in PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. She says, “I already aspired to become a PADI Instructor at this point and knew it was the first of many stepping stones to achieve this. Even the thought of diving in a cold quarry excited me.” Hot chocolate also helped!
Zoe set a goal to become a PADI Master Scuba Diver by January 2025. PADI Master Scuba Diver is the peak of recreational scuba diving—a rating fewer than 2 percent of all divers achieve. In quick succession, she completed seven PADI specialties and Rescue Diver, earning additional entries in the 2024 PADI Master Scuba Diver (MSD) Challenge.
Zoe rose to the top, not only achieving her Master Scuba Diver rating but also winning the MSD Challenge Grand Prize—a dive trip for two to the Maldives. She said, “I am proud of myself for putting in the work and hope this will open new doors for me in the diving world. I would love to meet Steve Back-shall!” Little did Zoe know Steve Backshall would present her award at this year’s Go Diving Show in Coventry, England!
Zoe joined PADI Club for the global diving community, access to diver resources and a subscription to Scuba Diving magazine. She appreciates PADI’s structured, consistent approach to diver training. She’s not stopping at Master Scuba Diver: Zoe completed her PADI Divemaster last February.
“Diving opens up a whole new world for people to discover, enjoy and protect. The more people who see the beauty of it, the more people will want to help protect it. I’ve had enormous support from the Aquasport International family. Mum and Dad have supported my alternative direction to university, acknowledging my dream of becoming a PADI Instructor and the opportunities this will give me in life. I want to spread my love for it and do my part in ocean conservation!”
