USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States, announced the four cities that will host this year’s International Water Safety Day events. The two-day events will include in-water lessons and out-of-water education. Media is invited to attend the water safety fair on May 15 at each site.
This year, USA Swimming's involvement in International Water Safety Day features a return to Chicago and adds stops in Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Boston to raise awareness about the importance of learning to swim. Olympic medalists Elizabeth Beisel, Rowdy Gaines, Cullen Jones, and Maritza Correia McClendon will each join an event to educate children, parents, communities, and civic leaders on the importance of swimming as a lifesaving skill.
“USA Swimming is proud to help raise awareness of water safety and swimming programs across the country by expanding our community support of International Water Safety Day to four locations,” USA Swimming Managing Director of Sport Development Joel Shinofield said. “As we prepare to name our next Olympic team in June, we are reminded that every athlete starts by first putting their goggles on and learning how to swim.”
To help support International Water Safety Day, USA Swimming will offer free resources to organizations nationwide as part of the Goggles On campaign. The free Goggles On campaign resources will be available starting May 8 on the USA Swimming website.
Drowning claims the lives of approximately 3,500 people per year, nearly 25 percent being children under 14. The problem is particularly prevalent in ethnically diverse communities, where the drowning rate is almost three times the national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning for children by 88 percent.
USA Swimming is working directly with local school districts and municipal Parks and Recreations services in Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Boston to provide the greatest impact to kids at the grassroots level. Each location will host two in-water clinics, a school assembly, and a water safety fair. SwimWays® products like the SwimWays Swim Trainer Life Jacket™, certified by the U.S. Coast Guard, will be displayed for attendees to learn more about utilizing SwimWays products in water safety training.
The USA Swimming Foundation, founded in 2004, continues to impact communities across America through both youth and adult learn-to-swim programs. In 2021, U.S. Masters Swimming moved its adult fundraising efforts to the USA Swimming Foundation, further solidifying USA Swimming Foundation as the leader in learn-to-swim efforts. If a parent doesn’t know how to swim, there is just a 19 percent chance that a child in that household will learn how to swim, according to a 2009 study by Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Further, according to the CDC, more than one-third of American adults cannot swim the length of a pool.
To find a youth or adult swim lesson provider near you or for more information on which programs offer free or reduced-cost swim lessons, visit www.usaswimming.org/find-a-team.
