FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com JUNE 12, 2014 • THE COURIER SUN 25 SNAPS QUEENS Bayside Marina // Photo by Lisa Kest Fein Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us via our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ QueensCourier, by tweeting@queenscourier or by emailing them to BY HARVIND JAPRA What are your plans for Father’s Day? I’m going out to barbecue with my grandfather and dad. Emily Clark I have to paint the walls and wash the car with my dad, and then help him cook breakfast. Jason Chen I’m getting him a tie, card, and I’ll probably take him out to dinner that night. Jun Yang My dad and I are going to church in the morning. Markella Giannakopoulos We are going to a Mets game and I got him a nice Father’s Day card. Robert Prasso My family and I are probably going to be having dinner at one of the restaurants on Bell Boulevard. Samantha Lau oped street talk I’m going out with my grandpa. I’m taking him out to see a Bollywood movie. Faith Chojar I will be writing him a card and we’re probably having dinner together that night. Michael Sison ctumola@queenscourier.com The importance of having strong swimming skills BY SHAWN SLEVIN As we knock on summer’s door, I am refl ecting on the overwhelming number of people I speak to on a daily basis who STILL don’t know how to swim! The American Red Cross conducted a recent survey and discovered that nearly half of American adults cannot swim. Their defi nition for the purpose of the survey: “Adults should be able to fl oat or tread water for about a minute, then be able to turn yourself so you can orient to a position of safety. Then you swim at least 25 yards and then get out of the water,” said Connie Harvey, a water safety expert of the American Red Cross. Why is this the case? It’s true — the statistics are scary. In the U.S. on average, every day, 10 people die due to drowning. Drowning is the second largest cause of death for children ages 14 and younger, with kids of color drowning three times more than their Caucasian peers. Amazingly, it is the leading cause of death for children 5 and younger, with many of those tragedies happening around the home! And on a global scale, drowning is the second largest cause of death, period. On the fl ip side, swimming is one of the most benefi cial activities you can do ALL of your life! It is the best cardio/ pulmonary and skeletal friendly exercise bar none. It’s a total body workout, working every muscle group, but with low impact. Embracing swimming as part of your exercise regime will help you avoid chronic health issues like obesity, heart problems and diabetes. From a cosmetic point of view, swimmers rarely look anywhere near their actual ages. It is the true fountain of youth. The benefi ts of taking the skill to a competitive level certainly transcend the pool. Swimming is a sport that challenges the individual, for the benefi t of the team. As a member of a community-based swim team advancing through participating as an elite swimmer on a national team, you will learn selfdiscipline, goal-setting, commitment, teamwork, perseverance, resiliency, and organizational and leadership skills. I often speak with educators from the primary school level through postgraduate levels who refl ect that competitive swimmers do very well academically. Why? Because it takes a laser-like focus, self-discipline and the organizational skills needed to multitask so that you can successfully manage your time to swim multiple workouts during the day while going to school, doing homework and, in some cases, also going to work. Naturally, these skills will benefi t individuals from their academic lives into their careers, family lives and into the community as well. Strong swimming skills enhance your life in many ways. Once you have them, you can explore 32 other water-based sports. In some cases (water polo, competitive swimming and diving, rowing) there are college scholarships available. In other cases, like surfi ng … not so much! However, each sport is both physically and mentally challenging and you will meet people with similar interests and expand your social circle in a great way. There are also career opportunities available in the aquatics industry and the military, hospitality, sports and entertainment fi elds that utilize these skills. So, why are you waiting? For safety, health and recreation, there is nothing like it. The younger you start, the better, but it’s never too late to learn to swim. Water Safety + Swimming Skills = LIFE Skills Shawn Slevin is the founder of Swim Strong Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profi t, saving and changing lives through swimming in NYC.
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