Dru Perry: Swim Instructor
Learn to Swim with Me!
Everyone Should Learn to Swim...JUST THE FACTS!
How big is the problem?
- From 2005-2014, there were an average of 3,536 fatal unintentional drownings (non-boating related) annually in the United States — about ten deaths per day. An additional 332 people died each year from drowning in boating-related incidents.
- About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
- More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments (EDs) require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared with a hospitalization rate of about 6% for all unintentional injuries). These nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning (e.g., permanent vegetative state).
Who is most at risk?
- Males: Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male.
- Children: Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates. In 2014, among children 1 to 4 years old who died from an unintentional injury, one-third died from drowning. Among children ages 1 to 4, most drownings occur in home swimming pools. Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children 1-4 than any other cause except congenital anomalies (birth defects). Among those 1-14, fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes.
- Minorities: Between 1999-2010, the fatal unintentional drowning rate for African Americans was significantly higher than that of whites across all ages. The disparity is widest among children 5-18 years old. The disparity is most pronounced in swimming pools; African American children 5-19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than those of whites. This disparity is greatest among those 11-12 years where African Americans drown in swimming pools at rates 10 times those of whites.
Factors such as access to swimming pools, the desire or lack of desire to learn how to swim, and choosing water-related recreational activities may contribute to the racial differences in drowning rates. Available rates are based on population, not on participation. If rates could be determined by actual participation in water-related activities, the disparity in minorities’ drowning rates compared to whites would be much greater.
What factors influence drowning risk?
The main factors that affect drowning risk are lack of swimming ability, lack of barriers to prevent unsupervised water access, lack of close supervision while swimming, location, failure to wear life jackets, alcohol use, and seizure disorders.
- Lack of Swimming Ability: Many adults and children report that they can’t swim. Research has shown that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years.
- Lack of Barriers: Barriers, such as pool fencing, prevent young children from gaining access to the pool area without caregivers’ awareness. A four-sided isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) reduces a child’s risk of drowning 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing.
What has research found?
- Swimming skills help. Taking part in in formal swimming lessons reduces the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years. However, many people don’t have basic swimming skills. A CDC study about self-reported swimming ability found that:
- Younger adults reported greater swimming ability than older adults.
- Self-reported ability increased with level of education.
- Among racial groups, African Americans reported the most limited swimming ability.
- Men of all ages, races, and educational levels consistently reported greater swimming ability than women.
Private Lessons are Worth It
TIME
A private lesson session should last 30 minutes, especially for young children, as it is difficult to keep their attention for much longer.LOCATION
You can bring the swimmer to my home located in Northwest OKC or I can come to you if you have a pool.
COST
The cost is $25 for one 30 minute session. If there is more than one swimmer and you would like an hour, the cost is $45. I would recommend two separate 30 minute sessions for each swimmer and there is a discount as long as the sessions are back to back.
Payment is due immediately following each session.
CERTIFICATION & EXPERIENCE:
American Red Cross Lifeguard and CPR Certification
Swim Coach for King Marlin Sponsored Neighborhood Teams Nichols Hills 2015 & 2016, Fenwick 2017
Swim Instructor for Marlin Swim School (SwimAmerica) Present Position
Lifeguard at OCGCC Summer 2016
Competitive Swimmer KMSC 2012 to present & PC North 2015 to present
Volunteer Swim Instructor with USA Swim and Sigma Gamma Rho for African American non-swimmers both children and adults 2014 to present and KMSC Native American Swim Meet 2013-present
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q-Should I stay for the lesson?
A-It is up to you. Most times, the swimmer does better initially without a parent as we establish trust, and the last 5 minutes or so the swimmer likes to show off what has been learned.
Q-How often should my swimmer take lessons?
A-It is suggested two or three 30 minute sessions each week. Additionally, I teach specific strokes and techniques if you have a swimmer who would like to participate competitively in club and/or neighborhood swimming.
Q-Could I have two children attend the 30 minute session?
A-Sure that is no problem as long as booth swimmers are not fearful of the water. If one swimmer is still afraid, I do not recommend two during a session.
Volunteer Instructor
My Story
My brother and I put on our swimming attire and were in the backyard waiting for my parents who were still changing. My brother jumped in and so did I. It was not a good idea! I thought I could just do it and I was not going to be afraid anymore. I found myself at the bottom of 9 feet of water and drowning! I pushed myself up to the top and while my life was flashing before my eyes, I was able to make it to the edge and my brother pulled me out.
During the screaming parents were there quickly and were not panicked at all. I was crying and sitting in a chair when my mom firmly said, "Well Dru, today is the day you will learn how to swim. You must get back in the water, now so that I can teach you."
I cried and begged not to get back in, but I knew my mom well enough to know she meant what she said...her look was not communicating to me this was a negotiation.
So I reluctantly walked down the steps to her and once I believed she would not let me drown and could release her neck, she taught me to swim in less than an hour. After about 45 minutes, I was swimming the length of our pool and she said, "That is great swimming, more than 'SAVE YOURSELF SWIMMING' but you are a natural."
I built my confidence and swam all summer long for fun and recreation, and the following summer I joined the neighborhood team and started competing every Saturday and winning! I did this for several summers, and people kept asking if I swam for a club team. We were not familiar with this culture of people, as we are a basketball family. Both parents and my brother played and my dad is a basketball coach, so we were unfamiliar with club swimming, but I knew I wanted to swim more. So, my mom searched the internet and found a team and the rest is history.
I started much later than most competitive swimmers but I have been successful and love it! Going from a near drowning experience to being a competitive swimmer, competing at State leading my high school team even as a freshman, lifeguard, coach, and instructor demonstrates my passion for swimming.
I plan to attend college in Fall 2018 on a swimming scholarship while pursuing a degree to lead me to Law School.