[by Johnny Archer]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11)- It is happening time after time this summer in Kentuckiana; children and adults drowning in pools, lakes or rivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death for kids 14 and younger.
To help keep everyone safe in the water, the Jewish Community Center in Louisville is launching the new Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy.
Krayzelburg is a four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming and says kids need to be taught water safety at a young age.
“It all comes down to a parent to take that risk and to put their foot down and say, “I’m going to get my child water safety,” said Krayzelburg.
Krayzelburg says kids can get in the water as early as two to three months old.
Barbara Suzan says all of the drowning related deaths this summer have her concerned for her eight-year-old granddaughter’s safety.
“It makes me what to get her in the water and learn about safety,” said Suzan.
Her granddaughter, Kenya, shares what she learned at the academy on Sunday.
“I learned to freestyle all the way to the wall and turning on your back and kicking,” said Kenya.
These are lessons taught to help develop the confidence and skills in the young novice swimmers need to become stronger.
“If we’re able to show our children that by participating in an activity such as our Lenny Krayzelburg Swimming Academy, they can develop the same confidence [as Krayzelburg],” said Stu Silberman, the CEO for the Jewish Community of Louisville. “Who knows, we may turn out an Olympic swimmer of our own here.”
This is the sixth Lenny Krayzelburg academy to open in the United States.
The academy is not only for kids, but adults too. Swimmers of all ages can learn the basic skills in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
