Tens of thousands join in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson

Tens of thousands of participants at more than 600 locations in 27 countries, from Australia to Zimbabwe, Bahrain to Brazil, and Panama to Poland, came together on Thursday 22nd June for the eighth annual World’s Largest Swimming Lesson (WLSL).
Coinciding with the start of the northern hemisphere summer swimming season, the event helped spread an important safety message in their communities, that Swimming Lessons Save Lives™.
WLSL provided children and parents exposure to life-saving water safety skills while building awareness about the vital importance of learning to swim and parental vigilance to help prevent drowning.
Three-time Olympic Gold medallist and WLSL Ambassador Rowdy Gaines explained “seeing so many kids from so many different cultures, all focused on this same mission is really inspiring.
“The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ is a perfect way to engage with the community and help people understand how crucially important it is to learn how to float, roll-over, recover your breath and swim to an exit to prevent drowning.”
Globally, the World Health Organization estimates drowning is one of the top five causes of death for children under 14 years in 48 of the 85 countries it monitors.
In 2014, the American Red Cross, one of many WLSL supporting organisations, found more than half of Americans (54%) either can’t swim or don’t have foundational swimming skills.
The WLSL is working to change that.
Since its inception in 2010, almost 200,000 children and adults have participated in WLSL lessons, and organizers have shared the importance of swim lessons more than half a billion times. By 2019, organizers hope to make more than one billion people fully aware of the importance of enrolling children in swim lessons.
The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson was created by the World Waterpark Association.
In 2018, WLSL will take place on 21st June.
For more information, go to www.wlsl.org
30th June 2017 - ROYAL LIFE SAVING REPORT REVEALS NON-FATAL DROWNING INCIDENTS ARE ON THE RISE
22nd June 2017 - WORLD’S LARGEST SWIMMING LESSON PROMOTES WATER SAFETY SKILLS
14th June 2017 - ASSA FORMS FOUNDATION TO DEAL WITH COMMUNITY SWIMMING ISSUES
26th April 2017 - ASSA LOOKS TO GLOBALISE THE SWIM SCHOOL INDUSTRY
29th March 2017 - SCHOLARSHIPS TO DEVELOP FUTURE SWIM SCHOOL INDUSTRY LEADERS
22nd February 2017 - WORLD’S LARGEST SWIMMING LESSON TO RETURN ON 22ND JUNE
30th January 2017 - SURF LIFE SAVING VICTORIA MARKS 70 YEARS
2nd December 2016 - VICTORIAN SCHOOLS TO BE REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE ALL PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN SWIM
14th September 2016 - 2016 WORLD’S LARGEST SWIMMING LESSON BREAKS RECORDS
2nd April 2008 - DROWNING BIGGEST KILLER OF ASIAN CHILDREN
Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?
As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.
supplier directory
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
Chadson Engineering Pty Ltd
Australia’s leading manufacturer of horizontal and vertical media filters suited to all types of commercial pools, water playgrounds marine parks, aquaculture and zoos. They are an ideal…
read moreTJS Services
TJS Services is a leading national facility services provider. We deliver quality cleaning, maintenance, construction and facility management services to over 1,500 sites Australia wide. Our…
read moreTicketworx Pty Ltd
Ticketworx (formerly House of Tickets) is Australia and New Zealand’s foremost ticket specialist servicing some 2,700 clients and producing in excess of 30 million per tickets per annum.…
read morePerfectGym
Perfect Gym Solutions is a software as a service (SaaS) solution purpose-built to service the fitness industry, with over 1000 clients servicing over two million gym members across 40 countries making…
read moreAnti Wave Global
Anti Wave Global is the original suppliers of top performance swim, aquatic sports, leisure and pool programming equipment. Founded in 1971, Anti Wave Global is proud of its long and tested…
read moreVITEC
Stadiums and venues around the world recognise that success hinges on more than just what happens on the pitch. More than ever, fan engagement within each facility is a critical part of the overall…
read moreget listed with our suppliers directory
Get your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!