Powell, OH – Zoombezi Bay is joining forces with the world’s top water safety and training organizations to serve as an official host location for the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ (WLSL) from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in the Wild Tides Wave Pool. Now in its 14th year, this event serves as a crucial platform for the aquatics industry to build awareness about the fundamental importance of teaching children to swim.
Zoombezi Bay will be one of hundreds of locations across the globe that will simultaneously offer a basic, 30-minute swimming instruction to children ages 2 through 12 years old. The attendance at Zoombezi Bay will be combined with all other participating aquatic facilities in an attempt to collectively break the Guinness World Record™. Since this event launched in 2010, Team WLSL™ currently holds five Guinness World Records™ for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson conducted at multiple venues.
The lesson at Zoombezi Bay will be conducted by Zoombezi Bay lifeguards. Only WLSL participants will have access to the wave pool during the event. The wave pool will open to the general public immediately following the event.
As part of the swim lesson plan, all ratios will comply with American Red Cross standards, and parents will be permitted to accompany their children in the wave pool. The lesson will be basic in nature and will be broken down into 4- to 10-minute sessions.
To thank guests for participating, Zoombezi Bay is offering participants a discounted entry of $17, which includes access to the entire water park following the lesson as well as Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. All accompanying guests will pay regular admission pricing. (Children under 12 years old must be accompanied by a guardian.) The lesson is free for Season Pass Holders.
Registration and check-in begins at the Zoombezi Bay Season Pass entrance at 9:15 a.m.; pre-registration is encouraged (for all participants, including Season Pass Holders) but not required. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Events Page on Zoombezi Bay’s website.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, drowning is now the leading cause of unintended death in the U.S. for children ages 1-4 years, and the second leading cause of death in children and teens ages 5-14 years. Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that the risk of drowning can be reduced by 88 percent if children participate in formal swimming lessons between the ages of 1-4 years. However, a survey conducted by the American Red Cross in 2020 showed that 56 percent of Americans are unable to swim or do not have the necessary basic swimming skills.
The WLSL website states that since the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson first began, more than 354,000 children and adults on six continents have participated, generating more than 2.5 billion life-saving, learn-to-swim media impressions, which has helped to communicate to communities the importance of learning how to swim. This will be the 10th year that Zoombezi Bay has participated in the event.
Before and after the lesson, say hello to your favorite Aquatic Character Ambassadors dressed in their Zoombezi best, and meet their new friend Sam Pelican! Immediately following the lesson, get up close with some of the Columbus Zoo’s Animal Ambassadors and discover more about them from their care team.
For additional updates about Zoombezi Bay’s attractions, events and more, visit the waterpark’s website, and be sure to follow Zoombezi Bay on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
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About Zoombezi Bay
Zoombezi Bay is a 22.7-acre water park that features 19 state-of-the-art water attractions, including the aquatic adventure area, Otter Banks; themed water slide, SoundSurfer; the multi-level play structure, Baboon Lagoon; a wave pool; an action river; a lazy river; a kiddie play pool and more. During the regular summer season, admission to Zoombezi Bay includes the Columbus Zoo, and proceeds from the water park support the Zoo’s operation and mission. Please visit www.zoombezibay.com for more information.
