Zoombezi Bay is joins forces with the world’s top water safety and training organizations to serve as a host site for the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™(WLSL)!
Zoombezi Bay is one of hundreds of locations in more than 20 countries that will simultaneously offers a basic, 30-minute swimming instruction to children ages 2 through 12 years old. The attendance at Zoombezi Bay will be combined with all other participating aquatic facilities in an attempt to collectively break the Guinness World Record™.
First starting in 2010, Team WLSL™ currently holds five Guinness World Records™ for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson conducted at multiple venues.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is a major public health problem worldwide. In 2015, approximately 360,000 people died from drowning. Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths. About one in five people who die from drowning with the United States are children 14 years and younger. The WHO encourages a variety of interventions to prevent drowning, including teaching school-age children basic swimming skills.
According to WLSL’s website, since the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson began 10 years ago, thousands of children and adults have participated in the program. This will be the eighth year that Zoombezi Bay has participated in the challenge.
To encourage participation, Zoombezi Bay is offering participants discounted entry, which includes access to the entire water park following the lesson as well as Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. (Regular admission prices apply to those accompanying the swimmers; children under 10 years old must be accompanied by a guardian.) The lesson is free for season pass holders.
As part of the swim lesson plan, all ratios will comply with American Red Cross standards, and parents will be allowed to accompany their children in the wave pool. The lesson will be basic in nature and is broken down into 4- to 10-minute sessions.
