by Kyle Sagendorph//USA Swimming
The 2023 Make-a-Splash Tour presented
by Phillips 66 concluded with a water safety presentation at an assembly held
at Roxana, Illinois' Central Intermediate School
More than 300 third, fourth and fifth
graders sat on the gymnasium floor and awaited water safety tips from four
distinguished guests: three-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel, three-time Olympic
gold medalist and the voice of swimming Rowdy Gaines, USA Swimming Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion Director Leland Brown III and, of course, lifeguard at the
local Roxana Community Park District pool Makenna John.
John’s connection to the Tour goes
beyond her first-hand experience with the importance of water safety; she also
attended the 2014 Tour stop in Roxana as an elementary school student.
“I remember I got to meet (Tony
Ervin) and that was just super cool,” John recalled of her experience. “There
was a good group of kids there and to be in the water with an Olympic swimmer
was really special.”
The Tour, which dates back more than
15 years, takes decorated athletes to local communities and utilizes speaking
engagements and in-water programming to help prevent drowning. Nearly 4 out of 5 children in families with
household income less than $50,000 have no or low swimming ability. Stressing
the importance of water safety through people like John and USA Swimming
Foundation ambassadors can help with this issue.
“Water safety is so important,” John
said. “Being confident around the water can go a long way.”
Her family grew up around water and
she has a lineage of lifeguards in the family – going as far to say it's a bit
of a “lifeguard legacy” with all her cousins having taken on the role and
responsibility.
John’s journey from Tour attendee to
lifeguard to Tour presenter is a testament to her determination and dedication
to water safety and her community.
“This was a super cool experience,”
she said of being able to be a part of this year’s Tour. “It’s kind of a
full-circle moment – I was here 10 years ago and now I’m here 10 years later.
It was awesome; (Gaines and Beisel) are both so kind and it gave me an even
better understanding of water safety.”
The presentation at Central
Intermediate School, and at school visits in Houston and Lake Charles,
Louisiana as part of the 2023 Tour, focused on four talking points:
Learn to swim
Bring an adult and swim near a
lifeguard
Bring a friend
“Reach or Throw, Never Go”
If you see someone in danger in the
water, try to help them by reaching from land or throwing a flotation item to
them, as opposed to going into the water to help them.
For John’s efforts and impact in her
community, she was one of 47 individuals nationwide to be selected for the
Phillips 66 Boys and Girls Club Award, earning her an annual scholarship as she
gets ready to head off to college. The recipients of the scholarships are also
guaranteed an interview for an internship with Phillips 66 if they meet the
minimum grade-point average (GPA) requirements and are interested in a relevant
field.
USA Swimming, the USA Swimming
Foundation and Phillips 66 extend their gratitude to Makenna for her efforts.
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