Janet Evans Stops By “The Today Show” To Promote Water Safety

NEW YORK, New York, June 20. OLYMPIAN Janet Evans stopped by the set of “The Today Show” this morning to talk about the importance of keeping kids safe around water, as part of Water Safety Month.

Evans was joined in Rockefeller Plaza by show co-host Savannah Guthrie and six kids playing in a temporary pool. “We need to teach kids to swim, just like we put kids in car seats,” said the four-time Olympic champion. “The statistics are staggering, and we need to get our kids in swim lessons.”

Evans emphasized the need to always keep an eye on children while in the water, as they tend to drown without first crying for help. She also suggested not putting Water Wings, or floatable buoys, around children's arms, as it gives them “a false sense of security” if they were to fall into the water.

Evans conducted a quick swim lesson with the kids, which included her daughter Sydney demonstrating the ability to go underwater, blow bubbles and re-surface with confidence. She also worked with the children on floating on their backs, a crucial skill needed if a kid finds themselves in the water without someone to save them.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Evans' appearance today continued a push of Olympic proportions by USA Swimming Foundation and other organizations during Water Safety Month. Earlier in June, Cullen Jones, Rowdy Gaines and Lia Neal participated in a weeklong water safety event. Complete with two days of media interviews and two days of swim clinics, the event was one of the biggest for USA Swimming Foundation's Make a Splash campaign, which has worked for more than four years to lower the drowning rate of children across the United States.

Read more about USA Swimming Foundation's Make a Splash campaign in the upcoming July issue of Swimming World Magazine. Click the link to subscribe!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x