Attempt At World's Largest Swimming Lesson to Take Place Next Tuesday at Mercer Pool

From the City of Iowa City

Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City will serve as an official host location for a world-wide attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for "The World's Largest Swimming Lesson" (WLSL) next Tuesday, June 18, at 10 a.m.Students who are taking swimming lessons at that time will participate, trying to break the 2012 record which drew 24,873 participants from 15 different countries. The pool is located at 2701 Bradford Drive.

The WLSL is organized by a coalition of the nation's leading water safety and training organizations, including the National Recreation and Parks Association, to build awareness of the importance of swimming lessons. Drowning remains the leading cause of unintended, injury-related death for children ages 1 to 5, and the second leading cause of accidental death of children under the age of 14. Research shows that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children aged 1 to 4. Research also indicates that if a child doesn't learn to swim before third grade, it is likely that he or she never will.