Jason+N’s+Final+AmEx+Speech+2016

Swimming: A Life-Long Skill You bob on the surface, struggling. You try to call out for help, but no words are spoken. You flail your arms, trying to stay afloat, but to no avail. You slip beneath the surface, holding your breath for dear life. Time slows, seconds turn to hours, and your mind races. Everything goes dark, your lungs burning, until you can no longer resist. You inhale, sinking slowly, slipping into unconsciousness.

Every year, 3,536 fatal unintentional drownings occur in the United States. Ten lives are taken per day. An additional 332 die each year from boating-related incidents. About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

The silent killer strikes without warning; most victims drown in 5 minutes or less, after being last-seen in their home, under the supervision of another person. It can happen to anyone, specifically when risk factors are present. Risk factors include, but are not limited to, lack of swimming ability, lack of pool fencing, lack of close supervision, location, failure to wear life jackets, alcohol use, and seizure disorders (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

As if drowning in a physical pool isn’t unfortunate enough, secondary “dry drowning” can occur hours after the near-death experience. This occurs by fluid build-ups in the lungs, called a pulmonary edema. Symptoms of secondary drowning appear hours after the incident, often with little warning. Like primary drowning, troubled breathing and brain injury will occur. Left untreated, it can become fatal (Dry Drowning and Secondary Drowning: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment).

There is a way to prevent most drowning cases. The enrollment in formal swimming lessons reduces the risk of drowning. In infants ages 1-4, that risk is reduced by nearly 88 percent (USA Swimming - Research Corner). In addition, if a parent does not know how to swim, there is only a 13 percent chance that a child in the household will learn to swim. Swimming lessons should be mandated in all schools, as well as in the community, in order to ensure that all people have an equal opportunity to learn a lifesaving skill, in the event that it must be used in an emergency situation.

Now, I’m not saying that everyone needs to swim for years and years, and become the next Michael Phelps. Swimming lessons need to be mandated to a reasonable extent, such as to the level that a swimmer of any age can swim, at minimum a few laps, in order to escape the water in the event of an accidental entry.

Along with the necessity for a life-saving skill, swimming serves as a low-impact sport, meaning that there is not a lot of stress on the body. “The body is 90 percent buoyant when in water up to your neck.” (6 Reasons Why Your Child Should Learn To Swim) This buoyancy promotes the wellbeing of the body in the long run.

By teaching people how to swim, a new perspective on health and fitness will be promoted. Swimming not only saves lives, but will provide cardiovascular training, promote long, lean muscles, increase flexibility, strengthen your core, build endurance, and help to maintain a healthy weight (9 Good Reasons Why You Should Get in the Pool). With America leading the world in obesity rates, mandated formal swimming lessons will help to begin the battle of obesity, by promoting lifelong fitness.

Swimming is imperative to the safety and well being of people. While not everyone may own a pool, they will come across some kind of body of water, whether that be a lake, ocean or river at some point in their lifetime. By preparing for an emergency ahead of time with formal lessons, the risk will decrease, along with the casualty rate.

As a swimming instructor at the Ventura YMCA, I have seen a wide spectrum of students. From ages 3-16, I have seen varying skill levels and attitudes in regards to swimming. Perhaps the most memorable and common occurrence is where a student is afraid of the water. They hide behind their parent’s leg screaming, crying, and pulling, refusing to get in the water. If we start swim lessons in youth ages, not only will a child be less scared of the water, but they will learn to be safe in the water, realizing that there is nothing to be afraid of.

I want to live in an America where people can enjoy summer days outside, cooling off, without having to worry about ten people dying per day. I want to live in a country where people are no longer ignorant about the potential dangers of bodies of water. I want to live in a society where people use common sense, and are proactive in the well being of themselves and their loved ones. I want to live in an America where I can rest assured that people are aware of a growing problem that can be solved with a few formal lessons. Thank you.

Works Cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Apr. 2016. Web. 05 June 2016.

"6 Reasons Why Your Child Should Learn To Swim." Swimming World News. 30 Nov. 2015. Web. 06 June 2016.

"9 Good Reasons Why You Should Get in the Pool." ACTIVE.com. Web. 06 June 2016.

Newman, Emily. "Dry Drowning and Secondary Drowning: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 06 June 2016.

"USA Swimming - Research Corner." USA Swimming - Research Corner. Web. 05 June 2016.