LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- One With the Ocean today announced a new partnership with Paralympic swimmer Jamal Hill and his foundation Swim Up Hill. Despite a punishing training schedule ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games, swimmer Jamal Hill is working hard to fulfill another long-held dream: providing culturally relevant swim lessons to young people of color from LA's underserved communities. Generational fear of water and lack of funding for swim lessons means these kids are at extreme risk of drowning. In partnership with One With the Ocean (OWO) and Hill's Swim Up Hill Foundation , the Inglewood native is on a quest to save millions of lives, starting by teaching 6,000 students in Los Angeles how to swim.

Teaching one million underserved kids to swim

Hill's mission is to teach one million children across the U.S. to swim using his innovative, rapid results Swim Up Hill method. "It's a revolutionary swimming course that puts anxious parents (who are often unable to swim themselves) and students at ease, even before they take their first steps near the pool," says Hill. By starting the swim lessons in the safety of the classroom and having kids learn breathing techniques with their faces in a bowl of water, Hill transforms aqua-anxiety into wave-crushing confidence. He remarked, "We not only save lives, we improve lives."

Play in the Waves

OWO, a Los Angeles nonprofit organization, runs ' Play in the Waves ,' an immersive ocean program for underserved elementary and high school kids. A recipient of the CA State Parks Outdoor Equity Program Grant , OWO was searching for young swimmers to fill its program dates and agreed to earmark grant funds for Hill's water safety and pool sessions. They're now working together to roll out Hill's learn-to-swim method to students in 30 schools within a five-mile radius in South Los Angeles.

Hill, a charismatic young man the kids love, will lead the training sessions. Looking ahead, the organizations hope to further train and certify teachers to incorporate these lessons into their curriculum. This way, future students can learn the skills and enroll in ongoing pool sessions.

About One With the Ocean

One With the Ocean is a Southern California-based non-profit organization that began as a passionate community of conscientious ocean swimmers. We are dedicated to providing immersive open-water experiences for youth from underserved communities, with the goal of fostering a deep love and respect for the ocean. Through our programs, we aim to inspire the next generation of ocean advocates who will work to protect and preserve our marine environments for the future.

About Swim Up Hill

Swim Up Hill, founded by Paralympian swimmer Jamal Hill, is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to bridging the gap in swimming education for youths of color. With a mission to reach the 50 million young people worldwide who don't yet know how to swim, Swim Up Hill offers culturally relevant instruction designed to empower and inspire. The foundation aims to promote safety, confidence, and lifelong aquatic engagement within underserved communities by providing access to essential swimming skills.

Angela Lee

One With the Ocean

323-932-1709

angela@onewiththeocean.org

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SOURCE One With the Ocean

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