Every year, hundreds of people — many of them children — drown in Florida. In fact, the Sunshine State has one of the highest rates of drowning, according to the CDC: 2.02 per 100,000 people.
In a state surrounded by water where so many activities are enjoyed not just offshore but also in our lakes and rivers and in many a backyard pool, it seems fundamental that people would prioritize swim safety. Yet, these tragedies persist.
Of course, many lives might be saved if more people — especially young children — learned to swim. But not all swim lessons are equal, a fact that prompted swim safety advocate Linda Bolger to act.
A retired health and physical education teacher from New Jersey, Bolger has taught swimming lessons for almost 50 years. She is the author of “Dunk Your Donuts, Not Your Children,” to motivate instructors to teach techniques without resorting to forced submersion. She is also the creator of the FAST Swim Program, which uses personal flotation devices — AKA life jackets — approved by the U.S. Coast Guard to enhance techniques and keep children and adults safe as they learn to swim. (FAST is an acronym for Flotation Aided Swim Training.)
“Four years ago, when I moved to Florida, I realized that none of the programs that were available made safety during lessons a priority,” Bolger said. “That why I started it.”
The program, which has about 60 water safety instructors in St. Johns and Duval counties, has been approved by the Florida Department of Health. Lessons are taught in a variety of public and private pools. When people enroll in the FAST Swim Program, they are given the address and contact information for the nearest lesson site.
One reason the program is successful is that it mandates instructors apply CDC and AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) water safety guidelines. In addition to using life jackets, instructors supervise from within an arm’s length. The preferred life jackets are the “body glove” type or “puddle jumpers.”
The program not only teaches people to swim, it also trains instructors and helps them achieve nationwide certification.
In addition to safety, the program has proven especially effective for both children and adults. Bolger said she has heard from many people who, after two years of lessons with other programs, still could not swim.
“Anyone who’s 4 and over, we usually can get them swimming anywhere from 10 to 15 lessons,” Bolger said. “Every parent, every caregiver leaves here excited to see progress in each and every lesson.”
In fact, U.S. Army veteran Anthony Lewis said he learned to swim within five lessons after he enrolled in the FAST Swim Program.
“A lot of our adults said they went from fear to fun in four lessons,” Bolger said.
To learn more about the FAST Swim Program, go to fastswimprogram.com or call 904-640-9199.
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