Bronx students at P.S. 66/School of Higher Expectations learned about swim safety from two Olympic medalists Thursday at an out-of-water school assembly in honor of International Water Safety Day.
Olympic medalists Cullen Jones and Janelle Atkinson spoke with around 500 K-5 students at the 1001 Jennings St. school about staying safe in the water. Jones walked back and forth among a room full of kids telling them about a few fundamentals of swimming.
“You never want to swim unsupervised with no one else there,” Jones said to the children.
The Bronx born, two-time Olympic gold medalist knew firsthand, how important being a strong swimmer can be. When he was 5-years old, Cullen almost died at a waterpark in Pennsylvania.
“As someone who nearly drowned, I strongly believe that it is essential for families to sign up for swim lessons. Swimming is a vital skill that everyone should have access to,” said Jones, four-time Olympic medalist and Board Member of the USA Swimming Foundation.
The athletes shared other tips for staying safe in the water like understanding their personal swimming capabilities and limits; only swimming when conditions are safe; and always having a lifeguard on duty. Children in Black and Brown neighborhoods drown at three times the rate of the national average.
The International Water Safety Day event encouraged students to sign up for free swimming lessons with the non-for-profit sports organization Asphalt Green which partnered with the USA Swimming Foundation to organize the event.
Asphalt Green’s CEO Jordan Brackett said in a statement that the sports organization has a long history of offering free swim instruction to New York City children going all the way back to 1994.
“For over 35 years we have been teaching children how to swim, equipping them with a lifesaving skill that will protect them and keep them happy and healthy through adulthood,” Brackett said.
Jones said that while safety is the most important reason to learn to be a strong swimmer, he grew to love the sport and said it provided him unique opportunities.
“You never know – the next Olympian could be in your midst!” Jones said.
