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Dr. Stathis Avramidis
Dr. Stathis Avramidis is an incredibly accomplished academic, athlete, and media personality – a blend of skills which gives him a unique insight into aquatics and drowning prevention. Stathis and I...
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Tombstoning
Tombstoning. An aptly named activity that appears to be favored primarily by teenage boys and men in their 20’s. It involves jumping off a cliff and hoping you land safely in the water. Not on the...
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Using Social Media To Teach Swimming.
How can I teach thee? Let me count the ways…. Traditional swimming lessons – through your Y, park district pool, community pool, local swim instructor or any other well-regarded program. The classes...
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Child Safety Products – Which Should You Use?
Are you a ‘buy every child safety product on the market’ parent or a ‘well, a few bumps won’t kill them’ parent? Is every table in your house surrounded with foam padding or do you silently curse when...
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Bruckner Chase – Social Innovator
What Makes Bruckner Chase’s program in American Samoa successful? Given his incredible success in long distance swimming Bruckner Chase could reasonably be expected to kick back and rest on his...
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Are Words Important? Nonfatal Drowning vs. Near Drowning.
Last week I talked about the hidden epidemic of nonfatal drowning. Only problem, I referred to it by the name I had heard most often and also used in regular conversation – ‘near drowning’. My error...
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Lifeguards – Worth The Investment?
Lifeguards are really cool. And hey, great job! Sit in the sun, hang out at the beach or pool. Easy life, and they even get paid? Is it a cush job or are they really worth the investment and salary?...
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International Water Safety Day
Happy International Water Safety Day! Did you know that today, May 15, is International Water Safety Day? The members of the U.S. Congress know, because a group representing drowning prevention...
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Fun Water Safety Games!
I’m usually writing about the business and ‘big picture’ aspects of water safety, but hanging at the pool with my children this summer has reminded me, once again, why I love my work. It’s because I...
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Grabbing Attention
“The problem is that people don’t care if their children die” “The problem is that the public just doesn’t want to listen” “The problem is that people just don’t understand the importance of learning...
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Dr. Stathis Avramidis
Dr. Stathis Avramidis is an incredibly accomplished academic, athlete, and media personality – a blend of skills which gives him a unique insight into aquatics and drowning prevention. Stathis and I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tombstoning
Tombstoning. An aptly named activity that appears to be favored primarily by teenage boys and men in their 20’s. It involves jumping off a cliff and hoping you land safely in the water. Not on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Using Social Media To Teach Swimming.
How can I teach thee? Let me count the ways…. Traditional swimming lessons – through your Y, park district pool, community pool, local swim instructor or any other well-regarded program. The classes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Intentional Drowning
What happens when drowning is intentional? Drowning happens fast. 2 minutes in 2 inches of water. It is a leading cause of unintentional death globally. Stress on the UNintentional. Horrifically, that...
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Drowning In Big Numbers
When almost a quarter of a million people die suddenly, people pay attention. Indonesian tsunami in 2004. When a hurricane kills over 100 people and causes $100 billion in damage, people pay...
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At What Age Are They “Old Enough” To Swim Unsupervised?
When should you allow your child to go to a pool or beach without adult supervision? How old is ‘old enough’? Stefanie (from Pediatric Safety.net) alerted me to an interesting article that prompted...
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Too Good To Drown?
I had an overwhelming and surprising response to last week’s blog about changing perceptions. Not much argument about the need to change perceptions about capability in the water for minorities and...
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Modeling Behavior
Professionals have an obligation to model correct behavior. We are upset if firefighters set forests and houses on fire. Unsettled if police steal or murder. We should be expecting the same standards...
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Educated Instinct
A father died trying to save his two sons caught in a rip current this week. In an all too typical scenario, a British family on holiday in Australia finds a secluded and unguarded beach, the boys...
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#Daytona500
During the Daytona 500 races, starting Sunday, February 23, we have a chance to make drowning a trending topic – if we all work together and leverage social media. A Public Service Announcement (PSA)...
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