Children around the world send message about swim lessons

by jason_cramp | July 23, 2015 10:50 am

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More than 900 aquatic facilities in 24 countries across the globe registered to host more than 40,000 swimmers for The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ (WLSL™).

On June 18, a global team made up primarily of tens of thousands of children worked together to send an important message to six continents in 24 hours: Drowning is a major cause of death for kids younger than 14 in every region of the world and it can be prevented through education and training.

This was the WLSL’s sixth attempt to set a new Guinness World Record™ in its efforts to raise awareness about child drowning prevention through swimming lessons. Participation has grown from approximately 4000 people the first year to more than 36,000 from 22 countries in 2014.

According to the WLSL, it can takes weeks to verify the official count for Guinness; however, early figures have indicated incredible support across the globe, including 1800 participants in the Philippines; 2200 in Brazil; 451 in the U.K.; more than 400 in Australia; 260 in Portugal; and tens of thousands from North America. Dozens of countries are still reporting.

“Drowning is an epidemic around the world,” says Jane Evans, Olympic gold medalist and a spokesperson for the event. “The WLSL is committed to making a difference by getting the world out in local communities across the globe.

“Despite research showing participation in formal swimming lessons has a significant impact on drowning risk; many children do not receive any kind of water safety training. Our goal is to spread the word that every child must learn this foundational lifesaving skill.”

The WLSL event was created by the World Waterpark Association (WWA) in 2010 as a platform to communicate the fundamental importance of teaching children to swim. More than 45 aquatics and safety organizations support the event.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/children-around-the-world-send-message-about-swim-lessons/

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