Powell, OH – Zoombezi Bay is joining 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) from 10 a.m. -10 :30 a.m. on Thursday, June 17, 2021 in the Wild Tides Wave Pool.
Zoombezi Bay will be one of hundreds of locations in more than 20 countries that will simultaneously offer 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 a discounted entry of $10, 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 will be broken down into 4- to 10-minute sessions.
Registration begins at the Zoombezi Bay Season Pass entrance at 9:30 a.m.; pre-registration is encouraged but not required. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Calendar Page on Zoombezi Bay’s website.
For additional updates about Zoombezi Bay’s events and more, visit the waterpark’s website, and be sure to follow Zoombezi Bay on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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About Zoombezi Bay
Zoombezi Bay is a 22.7-acre water park that features 19 state-of-the-art water attractions, including the aquatic adventure area, Otter Banks; themed water slide, SoundSurfer; the multi-level play structure, Baboon Lagoon; a wave pool; an action river; a lazy river; a kiddie play pool and more. Admission to Zoombezi Bay includes the Columbus Zoo, and proceeds from the water park support the Zoo’s operation and mission. Please visit ZoombeziBay.com for more information.
