Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) promotes physical fitness and community through events like their annual Fitness Month, Fun Runs and demonstration videos like their Fitness and Precision series.
Dorota Czerny, GUE Vice President and educator, shares her passion for exploration, and the importance of physical fitness for diving safety and performance.
Your dedication and passion for diving, exploration, and community are extensive, innovative, and inspiring. What was the first moment that you discovered and decided to become a diver?
It was more gradual, as I started by traveling with my parents across Europe in a car and a trailer, and the first thing that was always packed was a mask, snorkel, and fins. So, I started snorkeling in Greece, Türkiye, and Italy. My uncle later introduced me to a scuba diving shop, and that was it.
Would you say you have an adventurous spirit, i.e., always been an explorer? Or is it something you grew into?
Yes, when I reflect on my childhood, I was the one (the younger daughter) who was allowed more adventures, played outside till late, and got lost on the way from school as if there was something cool to see. I was reading adventure books and was always fascinated by travel, adventures, exploration, and nature.
How did your personal diving experience lead to involvement with Global Underwater Explorers?
I was teaching for other agencies and always wanted to deliver a good class, so my students could enjoy the underwater world as I did. I always perceived myself as a bit of an outsider in scuba, as I was aiming to train divers to be competent and independent. I started to organize a community around a diving forum with my former partner, and then we migrated into backplates and wings, and at some point, did a Fundamentals class, which for me was an enlightening moment, as finally I discovered a group of weirdos that thought about teaching scuba diving as I did. So, I finally felt an instant sensation of belonging.
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“Move appropriately, build strength, respect your body as you have only one, and it does a massive amount of things for us. Just respect it, make it flourish and give it a chance to be healthy.”
– Dorota Czerny
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Now you are Vice President of GUE and primarily describe yourself as an educator. What is your favorite diving topic or client to teach? Why?
Buoyancy, trim, and propulsion all relate to us being in control of our body in the water, moving with the grace and attention that the environment deserves. I teach that we are negotiating our presence with the water that surrounds us – and this is how we should move – with respect, control, and precision. Then we can truly enjoy the environment and achieve things we may not believe we can do.
GUE has an upcoming Fitness Month in August 2025. With your longevity and advanced skills with wreck, technical, and cave diving, how do you perceive the importance of physical fitness for diving?
It is key to the safety, success of missions, and enjoyment. We dive in challenging conditions, with gear that weighs a lot, we move heavy gear, do science, and venture deep into caves or deep (as in depth) to work there with science, documentation, and discovery. Our body is our tool. I cannot imagine not being fit for this purpose. I would be not only endangering myself, but also the friends who are there with me.
Dorota Czerny
What is your personal fitness choice for the type of diving in which you participate? Please share any challenges, injuries, or obstacles you might have overcome, as well as accomplishments as a result of physical fitness.
I have injured my back due to wrong gear adjustments, and so I invested a lot of work into understanding body dynamics, movement patterns, and strength. I did a lot of Pilates (including instructor training), fascia Pilates, strength and coordination work, dynamic coordination (this is more for the fun of it), and I run (for relaxation and the fun of it). I am more fit now, over 50, compared to when I was 30. Longevity is in a mobile body that can handle stress and knows how to move in an efficient manner.
The GUE fitness month debuted in 2024. What is the goal(s) of the event for GUE and the GUE community?
To promote physical health and lifestyle changes for divers, they can benefit from being fit appropriately for the dives they plan to do. One of my favorite trainers and therapists (and now a friend) gave me one definition of fitness: 1. To do things without injuring yourself; 2, even with injury, to do things that do not make the injury worse; 3. To do things yourself without the help of others (as if you can’t do them, you are not ready yet) and 4. be respectful to your own body.
Was there a specific event, awareness or experience for you and/or your contemporaries that prompted initiating fitness month?
I was with a group of female GUE instructors, and we were discussing how we love running, and so we decided to organize a Fun Run together during the GUE conference to run together, and then we expanded it to let’s promote physical activities further … and we got the Fitness Month. Now we will have a 3rd Fun Run and are on the 2nd Fitness Month.
What is your message or advice to all divers about physical fitness for diving and possibly advancing their training to exploration (Wreck, Technical and Cave) diving.
Move appropriately, build strength, respect your body as you have only one, and it does a massive amount of things for us. Just respect it, make it flourish, and give it a chance to be healthy.
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Story by Gretchen M. Ashton, CFT, SFT, SFN, SSC, NBFE
Read full biography Dorota Czerny
Learn more about GUE Fitness Month 2025