Barron Swim School has joined forces with 7-time Olympic Medalist, Amanda Beard and Hope Floats Foundation to save the lives of children in the St. Louis Community.

Amanda is a 7-time U.S. Olympic medalist with two gold, four silver and one bronze.  At 14 years old, she made her first Olympic appearance and became the second youngest swimmer in history to receive a medal, winning one gold and two silvers.  She went on to achieve eight USA Swimming National Titles, hold the FINA World Record and the World Champion title for the 200-meter breaststroke, and compete in three more Olympic games.

Following her decorated swimming career, Amanda has served as a brand representative, nonprofit advisor, and a model and correspondent for print and television outlets.   She has written a New York Times Bestselling book (In the Water They Can’t See You Cry) and is the Co-Founder of Beard Swim Co., a learn-to-swim school located in Gig Harbor, Washington.

Amanda has recently joined the Hope Floats Foundation Board of Directors where she will help to expand water safety awareness and raise funds for scholarships to serve children across the US who can’t otherwise afford to learn to swim.

“We are thrilled to join forces with four-time Olympian, Amanda Beard and Hope Floats Foundation to bring water safety awareness and scholarships for swim lessons to our community.” said Scott Barron, Owner.  He continued, “It takes a village to keep our children safe and we need everyone in our community to join forces to prevent children from drowning.”

“Keeping kids water safe is a mission that became more important to me after having children of my own.  I believe the ability to swim is one of the greatest gifts you can give a child, and that there is a segment of children from disadvantaged families who are underserved.  I am looking forward to working with Hope Floats and Barron Swim School to expand access to help these children in your community,” said Amanda Beard, Hope Floats Foundation Board Member.

The equivalent of thirteen school buses full of children die each year in the United States due to drowning. Although 100% preventable, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children under age 5 and the second leading cause of accidental death for children under age 14.  Studies from the National Institute of Health show that swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%.

Barron Swim School’s mission of “Building Skills For Life” is front and center at our swim school. The state of the art facility has been designed for a learn-to-swim program for ages 3 months and older, from beginners to a recreational swim team. the program will not only get children comfortable in the water and able to swim independently, but provide them education on safety in and around the water and take them through a journey of learning that will serve them for life. Our end goal for students who complete all of our levels is for them to be able to safely and fully participate in water activities for the rest of their life.

Hope Floats Foundation, founded in 2016, is a national nonprofit organization.  Its mission is to prevent drownings by providing scholarships for swim lessons to disadvantaged children.  Hope Floats partners with local communities to offer financial need-based scholarships in over 190 swim school locations in 30 states.  Each year, thousands of swim lessons are provided by Hope Floats to empower disadvantaged children with the swimming skills to save their own lives.  For more information about Hope Floats and how to make a lifesaving donation, please visit www.hopefloats.foundation.