Baltimore Ravens Players Learn Swimming under Guidance of Michael Phelps
In a unique initiative aimed at promoting water safety, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has agreed to give swim lessons to the Baltimore Ravens football team. The lessons took place at Loyola University's aquatic center, where Phelps' son, Beckett, and children from the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore were also learning to swim.
Phelps, a Baltimore native and self-proclaimed "the biggest Ravens fan on the planet," accepted the request on Instagram, following a video posted by Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and his teammates Ronnie Stanley, Kyle Hamilton, and Charlie Kolar, two weeks ago.
The need for swim lessons arose after the Ravens renovated their athletic performance center, which now includes a recovery pool. Humphrey initiated the request due to some teammates not knowing how to swim.
During the lessons, Phelps shared his own experiences of learning to swim, recalling his own fear of putting his face in the water. He expressed hope that the Ravens players learned something and gained confidence during the sessions.
Many Ravens players, including those who already knew how to swim, took part in races with Phelps during the lessons. Roquan Smith, a Ravens player, admitted that he had never properly learned how to swim before the lessons, but felt more confident after receiving coaching from Phelps.
The collaboration between Phelps and the Ravens highlights a significant gap in swimming competencies, even among athletes. This initiative brings public attention to swimming skills as an important life-saving ability, particularly in light of rising drowning rates.
Drowning rates are rising, particularly among at-risk groups like young children, seniors, and Black people of all ages. Over half of all American adults have never taken a swimming lesson, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
In appreciation for the swim lessons, the Ravens made a $100,000 donation to the Michael Phelps Foundation, which will use the funds to help more people gain confidence in the water. The Foundation, with Phelps' first swim teacher, Cathy Bennett, present as a program manager, aims to make a difference in water safety.
Phelps' involvement with the Ravens is likely a valuable model to encourage broader swimming proficiency, which is a key factor in preventing drowning incidents. By teaching the Ravens to swim, Phelps not only equips athletes with life skills but also serves as a public platform to promote water safety amid rising drowning concerns.
- Michael Phelps, a Baltimore native and an ardent fan of the Baltimore Ravens, gave swim lessons to the Ravens football team, including Marlon Humphrey, Ronnie Stanley, Kyle Hamilton, and Charlie Kolar, at Loyola University's aquatic center.
- The Ravens, recognizing the importance of swimming skills as a life-saving ability, made a $100,000 donation to the Michael Phelps Foundation, an organization dedicated to water safety education.
- The initiative between Phelps and the Ravens brings focus to the issue of swimming proficiency, a key factor in preventing drowning incidents, particularly among at-risk groups such as young children, seniors, and Black people of all ages.
- Phelps' involvement in teaching the Ravens to swim not only equips athletes with life skills but also serves as a public platform to promote water safety, encouraging broader swimming proficiency, and contributing to reducing the rising drowning rates.
