BE LIKE MIKE AND LEARN HOW TO SWIM
OLYMPIAN MICHAEL PHELPS MADE WAVES AT FOSCO PARK POOL
Release Date: 09/08/08
Fourteen-career Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps surprised swimmers at Fosco Park pool Wednesday to give a clinic. With interest in the sport of swimming at an all-time high, the Chicago Park District encourages residents to participate in the sport.
“Swimming as exercise provides many health benefits, but it is also an important skill to master for safety,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Tim Mitchell.
The Chicago Park District offers admission-free “Learn to Swim” classes for children ages 6-17 at various pools year round. Swimming programs with nominal fees are also offered for toddlers 36 months to 5 years of age and for adults and seniors. All “Learn to Swim” programs are taught by certified American Red Cross water safety instructors.
Click here to search the swimming classes offered this season.
The Chicago Park District’s “Learn to Swim” program educates residents on the importance of swimming and offers residents many opportunities to learn vital swimming skills. With nine people in the U.S. drowning each day, water safety is an important issue for all Chicago communities.
• According to a survey conducted by the University of Memphis, nearly 60 percent of African-American young people can’t swim compared to 31 percent of white children.
• The non-swimming rate for Hispanic children is almost as high—56 percent.
• As a result, the fatal drowning rate of African-American children ages 5 to 14 is more than three times that of white children in the same age range.
• For Native American and Alaskan Native children, the fatal drowning rate is more than twice as high as that of white children.
For information on “Learn to Swim” and other aquatic related questions, call the Chicago Park District Beaches and Pools Unit at 312.742.5121.
- Contact Phone: 312 742 7529