Ok everybody knows PP&P are mostly non swimming swimfans. We get excited about new stuff about our fav swimmers, but more than that, we're constantly inspired. One of the biggest inspirations is learning or continuing to swim. Just because you don't swim or never learned, doesn't mean you can't appreciate what the swimmers do in the water. It might be "Swimming for Dummies" perspective, but it's still appreciation. But other than competition, learning to swim can literally put someone in a life or death situation. As a favor, PP&P Member Annette agreed to tell her story.......
Hey everyone! I have an important question for you- Are you water safe yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Two days ago something quite interesting happened to me. I was in the pool playing games with my nephew. Just a little background- mom doesn’t know how to swim, my dad does but his heart condition prevents him from doing it and I am pretty much minimally water safe so it’s a goal that the little ones in the family get comfortable with being in the water. So anyways he was doing great in the water and enjoying himself when an hour later a lady with a boy and a girl came in to swim.I noticed the boy and girl go into the pool. The lady who was on deck ready to sit down kept calling for the girl to get to the shallow end. The calling turned into shouting and I am listening but still paying attention to what my nephew is doing because he is quite a ball of constant energy. Then I turned toward where the lady was and she screamed at me to go get the girl. I looked and the girl was in the deepest part of the pool, in the middle with no one around, no floaties on her arms, and panicking and sinking fast. Fortunately this turn of events had a happy ending for the girl. Something just clicked in me and I did my best interpretation of swimming and got her. I kept my cool on the outside. After all I didn’t want my nephew to look at how scared I really was and then get scared himself. The lady admitted after that the girl couldn’t swim and neither could she (she didn’t say ‘thank you’ either). The lady who wasn’t water safe. At a pool. With no lifeguard. And no little floaties or anything on her non-water safe girl. With no one else around except me and my nephew and my dad.Makes you think, huh? This experience has definitely made me think about how important it really is to be water safe. If you aren’t water safe yet then I challenge you to get going!
......Recently a family member lost a fishing buddy when a current pulled them both under. My cousin managed to swim to shore, but his friend did not make it. When I heard about it, one of the first thoughts was 'Make A Splash' It's mission is to bring the message of water safety to youth. The commercials played on NBC during Nationals coverage. Water safety is an issue for all ages and races. Visit the Cullen Jones Make a Splash Foundation Facebook Page:
And check out Cullen's PSA for Make a Splash in the sidebar.
And Nette gets ((((((BIG HUG)))))) and THANK YOU!!!
