Ashburn Swim Students Go For Guinness Record

Instructors and young swimmers from around Loudoun County participated in the event intended to raise awareness about the importance of swimming.

Dusty Smith, Patch Staff

Posted Wed, Jun 19, 2013 at 12:44 am ET|Updated Wed, Jun 19, 2013 at 12:46 am ET

Potomac Swim School was among the various swimming instruction schools across the county that participated in the WLSL attempt to break the the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson.

The goal of the annual event is to raise awareness about the importance of learning to swim.

Drowning remains the leading cause of unintended, injury-related death for children ages 1-5, and the second leading cause of accidental death for children under 14, according to information provided by Team WLSL. Research shows participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children aged 1 to 4, yet many kids do not receive formal swimming or water safety training, according to Team WLSL.