Wednesday, May 19th the USA Swimming Foundation will host a special event in Omaha with 2008 Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones to showcase their new water safety event – Make a Splash. During the event, Cullen will speak about his journey from his own near-drowning experience to Olympic glory. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines will also join Cullen in speaking about water safety.
In the interest of encouraging diversity in the sport of swimming, the USA Swimming Foundation has joined forces with ConocoPhillips and the Omaha Sports Commission to promote water safety in the state of Nebraska.
WHY THIS EVENT IS IMPORTANT:
- Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related deaths for all children aged 1-14
- Six our of 10 African American & Hispanic children are unable to swim
- The drowning rate for children from ethnically-diverse communities is more than double the national average
