LeBron James Launches Swim Camp With Help From Simone Manuel

Simone Manuel is teaming up with Lebron James to promote water safety in Ohio; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Basketball star LeBron James is helping teach children to swim, with some major help from Olympian Simone Manuel, according to a recent feature on ESPN.com.

The program is part of Lebron James’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, which hosted their first-ever week-long summer camp focused entirely on swimming. A group of 140 third and fourth graders participated, with 125 of the attendees having never set foot in water before. Each day started with a video message from Manuel, who had also made a visit to the school in March to help announce the program.

Manuel stressed the importance of not only water safety, but accessibility for the students involved:

“It’s about bringing swimming into a space where it may not be accessible and allowing those children to learn how to swim and save their lives,” she said, adding “it’s really exciting knowing that this is the first time that these children are getting in the pool and playing in the water and getting their first pair of goggles and [maybe] swimsuits.”

Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an individual medal in swimming when she won the 100 free at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and has since partnered with the USA Swimming Foundation and the Make a Splash campaign to promote water safety for kids.

As noted in the article, according to the CDC two children under the age of 14 die from drowning every day in the United States. Additionally, the article notes that 64% of African-American, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children have little to no swimming ability.

“I would love to see more minorities in the sport of swimming,” Manuel added, noting that visibility is a key part of not only saving lives, but getting more people involved in the sport.

“Often, African-American children don’t see themselves as swimmers. They see themselves as basketball players or volleyball players or track stars. Introducing the sport of swimming to them not only saves their lives but allows themselves to see the possibility of becoming an Olympic champion like myself. It [could] open the door for a college scholarship in a sport that maybe they didn’t feel like was for them.”

You can read the full article on ESPN here, and learn more about LeBron James’ school here.

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Juan Carlos Escurra Oblitas

4 years ago

Saul Escurra Silva

Shindig Smith

4 years ago

Very cool!

Arturo Flores

4 years ago

Eduardo Jiménez

Michael Lanken

4 years ago

Great support

Lester calvin Taylor

4 years ago

Reply to Michael Lanken

Excellent programme i wish something like that can be done in the Bahamas where all the islands have water around them

Jilly Bean

4 years ago

Come to maryland and specifically Prince-Mont Swim League and see how diverse our league is!! All dream of making it to the Olympics!

Samantha Elyse

4 years ago

Chrystal Butler i saw that you posted about Lebron’s school’s teat scores and then came across this article so i thought i would share it with you! Miss you girly!

Chrystal Butler

4 years ago

Reply to Samantha Elyse

Samantha Elyse
❤️❤️❤️

Chrystal Butler

4 years ago

Reply to Samantha Elyse

Sam I miss you too!

Ithet Cess

4 years ago

Kenneth Asturiano

Stephen Paul

4 years ago

king James is the greatest isnt he?

Johnnie Tatum

4 years ago

That’s Awesome!!

Johnnie Tatum

4 years ago

That is great!

Liz Hudson

4 years ago

This is outstanding!!

Scott Remley

4 years ago

Leslie Herod

Andrea Hammonds

4 years ago

Brandon Hammonds

4 years ago

Reply to Andrea Hammonds

Andrea Hammonds that’s so awesome

Sari Puzio Carroll

4 years ago

Robin Taylor, use your magic and get in touch with these two

Darlene Washington

4 years ago

Awesome!

Rick Razo

4 years ago

How cool is that

Gigi Caiaffa Kean

4 years ago

So needed

Andrea Mele

4 years ago

Reply to Gigi Caiaffa Kean

Gigi Caiaffa Kean more than half my students can not swim. ?
Our swim coach offers students free swim lessons but they are reluctant to try.

robin Taylor

4 years ago

Come see our program in Atlantic City! We have taught over 500 children in the past year. The classes were free to all Atlantic City Children. Could use really use some help

candace moore

4 years ago

My daughter, 8 yo is a swimmer on a competitive swim team and I need to order this swim cap for my natural hair babe!

Martha Phelan

4 years ago

So great to hear…everyone should swim!!! ?‍♂️??‍♀️??‍♀️??‍♂️

Aquatic Jobs Network

4 years ago

Jim Bowser

4 years ago

Yes!
Needed!

Ruth Van Tuyle

4 years ago

Awesome!!!

Jen Longo

4 years ago

I would like to join you Simone and help you teach!

Shawn Santiago

4 years ago

Congratulations

Caroline Humphries Currier

4 years ago

Lisa Dorsey Ingram

Kent Davis

4 years ago

LBJ for president !

Pamela Galpin Meredith

4 years ago

The more hands on Deck the better. Thank you to any Celebrity who can lend their name and support swimming!

Liz Hudson

4 years ago

This is outstanding!!

Taylor Jackson

4 years ago

Derek Jackson

Shelly Toland

4 years ago

Ethan Toland

Daisy Hall

4 years ago

Great article….

Timothy Morrison

4 years ago

@jamessica James Sica do you have a recommended contact for that program?
I’ve been trying on and off to get the same thing on the south side of Chicago here and wondering about their interest in branching out?!
Thanks

James Sica

4 years ago

Reply to Timothy Morrison

The website for the foundation has contact info for inquiries on their site, which you can submit here:

http://www.lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org/page/press

Good luck!