A group of Cupertino kids can now add "world record holder" to their resumes after taking part in the world's largest swim lesson Thursday morning.
Sixty begoggled splashers, ranging from 1-years-old to tween-age, jumped into the Sutton Swim School pool after a half hour of dry instruction. Led by 10 swim school instructors, the youngsters learned kicks, strokes and how to hold their breath.
"I really like swimming," said 8-year-old Cupertino resident Kopratha Satchidanatham. "We went over things like freestyle swimming. It was a lot of fun and it feels great to set a world record."
The large lesson was part of a worldwide attempt to set the Guinness World Record for hosting the largest simultaneous swim lesson. Over 500 locations in 24 countries and five continents were expected to participate in the record-setting attempt.
Earl Sutton, owner of the school, has hosted the event two years running that people of all ages should know the basics of swimming.
Aaron Gould, a 26-year-old swim instructor who helped lead the lesson, said that starting young is the key to swimming success.
"The younger they start, we see them develop so much faster," he said. "They're able to pick up things a lot quicker and are more comfortable in the water. Learning to swim is so, so important."
For Cupertino resident Oleon Hariharan, 11, spending an hour learning how to float, do summersaults and freestyle stroke was all part of something larger.
"It feels awesome to be going for a world record," he said. "We are competing for glory."
