HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2011-06-13 World's Largest Swimming Lesson
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Leesburg’s A.V. Symington Aquatic Center Will Be An Official
Host Location for the “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson”
on Tuesday, June 14, 2011
2nd Annual Drowning Prevention Event Hopes to Set World Record
Leesburg, VA (June 13, 2011) – On
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011, thousands
of kids and adults at aquatics facilities
around the globe will unite to set a
new global record for the World’s
Largest Swimming Lesson™ (WLSL).
The A.V. Symington Aquatic Center in
Leesburg’s Ida Lee Park will be an
official host location for the event,
taking place at 11:00 a.m.
In 2010, the inaugural WLSL event
established the Guinness World
Record for the largest simultaneous
swimming lesson ever conducted when almost 4,000 participants across 34 states, five
countries and three continents participated to build awareness about the vital importance of
teaching children to swim to prevent drowning.
Tragically, drowning is the second leading cause of unintended, injury-related death of children
ages 1 to 14 in the United States. In fact, more than one in four fatal drowning victims are
children. Research shows that if a person doesn’t learn to swim before the 3rd grade, he or she
likely never will learn to swim. The threat of childhood drowning is even greater around the
globe.
The WLSL program works to promote drowning prevention through education by focusing the
energy of thousands of participants with a clear and specific message all at the same time. In
2010, aquatic facilities, from Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon near Orlando, Florida to swim schools in
Orange Country, CA, to parks & recreation centers in the Bronx, to locations in Mexico, Dubai
(more)
TOL PR 2011-06-13 World’s Largest Swim Lesson
Page 2
and South Korea, all taught the same swimming lesson at the same time with one goal in mind:
send the message that Swimming Lessons Save Lives™.
Olympic Gold Medalists Rowdy Gaines and Janet Evans are official spokespeople for the 2nd
annual WLSL event to help convey that loss of life from drowning can be prevented through
awareness and training. As parents, both athletes feel a strong commitment to teaching children
how to be safe in and around the water.
“I’m thrilled to be working with the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ for the second year to
help spread the word that Swimming Lessons Save Lives™,” said Gaines. “Learning to swim and
the exposure to the water safety messages that swimming lessons offer provide a fundamental
first step in drowning prevention.”
“It is so important to draw attention to this issue, particularly at the beginning of the summer
season,” said Jodi Fisher, Aquatic Supervisor at Ida Lee Park Recreation Center. “The World’s
Largest Swimming Lesson™ is a perfect way to bring the message to life for kids and parents.”
Participants can pre-register through Ida Lee’s WebTrac program at
www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=284 or can register on site, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on
Tuesday, June 14, 2011. The Guiness World Record attempt will begin at precisely 11:00 a.m.
Everyone participating in the record attempt must be registered, in position and ready to begin
the lesson before the official start time. For more information, please call the Ida Lee Park
Recreation Center at 703-777-1368.
About The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™. The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ was
created as a platform to help aquatic facilities and the many different regional, national and
international water safety and drowning prevention organizations work together to communicate
the fundamental importance of teaching children to swim. For more information, please visit
www.wlsl.org.
Contact:
Jodi Fisher
Aquatics Supervisor
jfisher@leesburgva.gov
703-737-7377
# # #