Do you still remember how it felt to drown?

It was a crippling feeling, I was suffocating underwater.

Now I've made it my job to conquer my fear

and to help to get these kids swim lessons

and to learn how to respect the water.

(calming music)

My name is Cullen Jones, I was in the Olympics in 2008

and 2012 and I love to give swim lessons.

- [Announcer] Cullen Jones is a four-time

Olympic medalist swimmer for team USA.

- [Cullen] Right after getting the gold medal in 2008,

they put the drowning rates in front of me

and I learned that 70% of African Americans,

nearly 60% of Latin Americans and nearly 40% of Caucasians

don't know how to swim.

So it's a big problem all over the US.

I think the reason that we don't see as many

African Americans in swimming is because

there's such a stigma that black people don't swim

and this is something that needs to be broken

because we are losing children, we are losing adults,

and it's something that can be changed by swim lessons.

So when I want you guys to kick,

I want you guys to push your arms right above the water.

Swimming lessons are so important to kids to me personally

because I was almost one of those kids

and part of the statistic.

- [Announcer] When Cullen was just five years old,

he almost drowned on a water slide at an amusement park.

- They had to come out and grab me and resuscitate me

because I was underwater for about 30 seconds.

I think what's important about this story is that

I was fully supervised, I mean, it was that easy

and that quick for me to go underwater.

That could have been my last day on this earth.

- [Announcer] And with that near-death experience

Cullen has made it his platform to bring

water safety education to kids from all backgrounds.

- Back stroke.

The way that I'm trying to change my community

is definitely with working with the

Make a Splash Initiative.

I knew this was my way of giving back to a sport

that has given me so much.

Once you learn how to swim, it's like riding a bike,

you never forget.

So take the time and learn how to swim.