Olympians Teach Kids about Water Safety in USA Swimming Foundation’s “Make a Splash Games”

Before receiving swim lessons, Jessica Hardy nearly drowned as a child. Today, Hardy and fellow Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer Jason Lezak are proud ambassadors of the USA Swimming Foundation, which offers free or reduced cost swim lessons for kids through its Make a Splash initiative.

This week at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in sunny Long Beach, California, the decorated swimmers hosted the USA Swimming Foundation's first-ever Make a Splash Games, an Olympic-style competition for kids ages 3 to 6 years old. The friendly, just-for-kids games included in-water exercises, diving, and more.

The Make a Splash Games is more than just a fun day in the pool. Since 2007 the USA Swimming Foundation's Make a Splash program has relieved the cost of swim lessons for over 4 million children at over 750 partner locations nationwide. The mission is to combat childhood drowning, which is the second-leading cause of accidental death in children under 14 years old.

The drowning statistics are alarming: Childhood drowning is preventable and is a risk to children of all ethnic background; Swimming lessons can reduce the likelihood of accidental childhood drowning by 88%; 70% of African American children cannot swim; 60% of Latino children cannot swim; 40% of Caucasian children cannot swim; Approximately 3,500 people die of drowning annually.    

At the end of the Make a Splash Games, all of the participants received medals for their hard work and became one step closer to mastering the lifesaving skill of swimming. For Hardy, "...The 'Make a Splash Games' is an opportunity to give back to the sport that's changed my life." Parents can visit USASwimmingFoundation.org to learn more about the "Make a Splash" program and locate the nearest provider.

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