More than 40K Swimmers to Attempt 6th World Record for Largest Global Swim Lesson in 24 Countries in 24 Hours on 6/18 to Help Prevent Drowning - #WLSL

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, June 18th, 2015, tens of thousands of kids at more than 900 locations around the globe will attempt to splash and flutter-kick their way toward a 6th consecutive Guinness World Record™ to help combat childhood drowning by participating in The World's Largest Swimming Lesson™ (WLSL).

Swimmers at hundreds of waterparks and aquatic facilities from Australia to Atlanta and Lithuania to Los Angeles are joining Team WLSL to take part in The World's Largest Swimming Lesson™ beginning at 10 am in the Marshall Islands and traveling around the globe. This year's event will follow the International Date Line as it reaches 10 am locally in 24 countries. More information about local events and official locations in the US and around the globe, as well as swim safety tips can be found at: http://www.wlsl.org.

Tragically, the World Health Organization estimates that drowning is one of the top 5 causes of death for people aged 1-14 years for 48 of 85 countries it monitors.

"Research shows participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children aged 1 to 4," said Rowdy Gaines, Olympic Gold Medalist and spokesperson for the event.  "Yet many kids don't receive formal swimming or water safety training. Drowning is preventable and insuring every child learns to swim is a powerful step toward prevention."

Team WLSL set its fifth Guinness World Record™ on June 20, 2014 with 36,564 participants from 22 countries. Since its inception, more than 120,000 people have participated in WLSL lessons generating more than 150 million life-saving media impressions.

About The World's Largest Swimming Lesson™

The World's Largest Swimming Lesson™ was created by the World Waterpark Association in 2010 as a platform to communicate the fundamental importance of teaching children to swim. More than forty-five different aquatics and safety organizations and publications support Team WLSL™ in their mission to help prevent childhood drowning.

B-Roll can be found at: https://vimeo.com/130551863

Media Contact: Lisa Liebl
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 405-623-0023

Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/0-Worlds-Largest-Swimming-Lesson-2015.mp4 
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150617/223702LOGO

SOURCE World's Largest Swimming Lesson

Related Links

http://www.wlsl.org