Olympic swimmer Karen Jones recalls near-drowning

Olympic gold medallist Karen Jones told Maressa Brown:

When I was 5 years old, I was fully supervised when I nearly drowned. There was a lifeguard there and my parents were there. I was at a water park in Pennsylvania. I was following my dad down a water slide. He went down, I went down too, and I flipped over. I had never taken swimming lessons, so I didn't know what to do and I panicked.

I had to be fully resuscitated by a lifeguard and the first thing out of my mouth when I woke up was, “What's the next ride?” I was OK, but I had some traumatic issues when I was 14 and wanted to get better at the 100m freestyle. I remember when I got home and was explaining it to my mom, she told me everything that happened that day at the water park and she said, “I almost lost you that day.”

So about six months after the incident, my mom put me in swim lessons. After going through about five different teachers, I met Coach Brad, who helped me get comfortable in the water. By the time I was eight, I was on a competitive team.

My mom would say, “We've been at swim meets all day, do you still want to go and hang out in the pool?” I would say, “Yes,” and that's when she told me that being in the water and teaching others about the water was my calling.

I became a lifeguard and started giving lessons. It felt right. Communicating what I was learning to young swimmers helped me understand what I was doing in the water as an athlete. It was also so much fun to watch someone blow bubbles for the first time, put their face in the water, and overcome that fear. It was nice to be able to change someone's perception of the water. Going from, “Oh my god, I'm not doing that” to, “I don't want to get out!”

That was when I was a teenager, and I haven't stopped since. I've become a strong advocate for water safety.

Every summer, as the temperatures rise, kids love to get in the pool. Kids are drawn to water and will do anything to get close to it. So the number one thing we want people to understand is the importance of water safety and learning.

For the third year in a row, I've partnered with Leslie's, the nation's leading pool retailer, because we share the same passion for the importance of swim lessons and water safety education.

Being a father has strengthened my mission

As a father to my 5-year-old son, Ayven, I've become even more passionate about this these days. I've been getting him in the water since he was 6 months old, and now he asks me almost every day, “Daddy, are we going to swim today?”

What I want parents to understand is that positive, educational experiences can preempt unfortunate, negative experiences.

I will never forget a trip I took to Shreveport, Louisiana in 2010. Six children were drowning, one after the other, each of whom had previously tried to save the same child. None of these children had ever had swimming lessons. I couldn't even hold back the tears, but I also gave lessons to several children in the community.

At first, he didn't even want to sit with his feet in the water, and after 30 minutes he was screaming and crying at me that he didn't want to get out. This was a positive experience, and it's the most important thing for a child who is afraid of water. They benefit from a teacher who can explain that water can be your best friend, but that we must respect it because humans are not made for it. We don't have gills.

Swimming Safety Tips for Everyone

As a black man, I feel strongly that we need to stop the myth that black people can't swim. 64% of black children, 45% of Hispanic/Latino children, and 40% of white children have little to no swimming ability, which is why more people die from drowning. This is a problem in the United States: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4.

To tackle this epidemic, it is imperative that everyone first understands the three basic principles of water safety.

• Learn to swim with formal lessons.
• To protect against germs, make sure your children swim in clean, hygienic and safe water. (Regular testing of pool water is essential to maintain the proper moisture balance for safe swimming water.)
• When pool areas are not in use, keep them secure and locked to keep children safe. You can use fences, gate locks, alarms, pool safety covers, etc. (Many municipal laws state that a fence is a minimum requirement; check with your local city or HOA to see if they are following the rules.)

The fourth and final principle: Have fun.

Swimming changed my life. It allowed me to take care of my family, travel the world, and show my mother the world. Swimming has been one of the best experiences of my life. I don't want my family to be scared of swimming. Swimming doesn't have to be scary. What parents need to know is that swimming lessons are necessary. Swimming is a life skill, a life-saving skill.