NFL wives bring signature safe swim event to New Orleans

(Press-News.org) NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 4, 2025 — The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health, is promoting water safety, a multi-market priority initiative for the Off the Field National Football League Wives Association. The American Heart Association provided Hands-Only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) education as part of the safe swim event held at Tulane University’s Reily Center on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The event welcomed nearly 200 children to learn crucial water safety skills and undergo a swim assessment to gauge their current abilities and identify.

“There are some things you do from necessity and some things you do from passion. This is both for us. We are committed to teaching water safety to our NFL athletes, their family members and NFL communities. No more lives lost due to drownings,” said Vice President, Off the Field NFL Wives Association and the NFL Community Development, Hagar Elgendy, M.D.

The event was held with the support of other nonprofit organizations, including the USA Swimming Foundation, who welcomed four-time Olympic medalist and current world record holder Cullen Jones to lead the in-water clinic and share his personal journey. Jones nearly drowned as a child yet  went on to become the first African American to hold a world record in swimming. Also, YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), in conjunction with YMCA of New Orleans, welcomed local students from the Good Shepherd School and Bissonet Plaza Elementary School to participate in the program. This was the second event of its kind with these four organizations -the American Heart Association, Off the Field, USA Swimming and, YMCA- supporting water safety. The first was held in Cincinnati in May 2024. The goal is to expand to hold swimming safe events in all 32 NFL markets.

“We want more people to be confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency, adding more people to the Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, which intends to double survival rates by 2030,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “At the American Heart Association, our future is about improving yours. This collaboration is an excellent example of meeting people where they are to deliver lifesaving education to ensuring that everyone, everywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR and help save a life.”

According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. Compression-only CPR, known as Hands-Only CPR, can be equally effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response and is a skill everyone can learn. It is as simple as calling 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse and then pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest. It is recommended that children and infants always receive CPR consisting of both chest compressions and rescues breaths at a ratio of two breaths every 30 compressions.

According to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in the United States for children aged 1-4 and the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 14[1]. To help increase water safety skills participants were taught basics such as how to roll onto your back if you fall in, how to push off the bottom of the pool and reach for the wall, how to exit the pool safely, and how to help a friend in distress. Drowning can happen nearly anywhere with standing water. CPR with rescue breaths is recommended for any suspected cardiac arrest in a drowning emergency, regardless of the age of the person. A combination of two rescue breaths and a cycle of 30 compressions should be applied until the person wakes up, additional help arrives from emergency services, or an automated external defibrillator arrives.

“The USA Swimming Foundation is thrilled to provide another free opportunity for children to access the lifesaving skill of learning how to swim,” USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Elaine Calip said. “Our crucial work continues to impact communities nationwide who may not have access to water safety resources. We are proud to continue our work with the Off the Field NFL Wives Association, American Heart Association and YMCA of the USA to support our mission of Saving Lives, Building Champions, and Impacting Communities.”

This event was designed to equip kids with the skills needed to be water safety competent when they may not have the ability to learn from a parent or caregiver. If a parent does not know how to swim, there is only a 19% chance that a child in their household will learn to swim, according to the USA Swimming Foundation.

The YMCA works to help the most at-risk swimmers, including Black children ages 5-19 who are nearly six times more likely to drown in a swimming pool than their white peers. Additionally, according to the YMCA, 45% of Hispanic/Latino children and 64% of African American children have little to no swimming ability[2]. The students participating in the Feb. 4 event will have supplemental lessons made possible by YMCA New Orleans. The YMCA’s Safety Around Water program is an eight-lesson program that teaches water safety skills that help reduce the risk of drowning and builds skills and confidence around the water. According to the National Institute of Health, just one month of swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88%.

“Learning to swim is an essential life skill, not a privilege, said Lindsay Mondick, director of aquatics and water safety at Y-USA. “The Y’s Safety Around Water program is the first step in equipping children with essential water safety skills and we’re excited to partner with Off the Field and bring this key program to so many children in New Orleans.”  

For others interested in learning Hands-Only CPR, American Heart Association instructors will be available at the Super Bowl Experience presented by Panini taking place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The Nation of Lifesavers Mobile CPR Unit will offer walk-up style instruction while the Experience is open to the public Wednesday, Feb. 5 through Saturday, Feb. 8. Participants will learn the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions. The Association encourages everyone to take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life now at www.heart.org/nation.

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 About the American Heart Association 

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/data-research/facts/index.html#:~:text=More%20children%20ages%201%E2%80%934,death%20after%20motor%20vehicle%20crashes.

[2] https://www.usaswimming.org/news/2017/05/25/usa-swimming-foundation-announces-5-10-percent-increase-in-swimming-ability

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