Hair Matters: African American Women Afraid to Swim

NEW YORK - June 3, 2014 - PRLog -- Agnes Davis, CEO, of swim swim swim I Say (sssIS, www.swimswimswimisay.com), the only female owned and operated swimming company based in Upper Manhattan servicing the Bronx and Harlem is on a crusade. Many women, particularly African-American women, not only have a fear of water but also a fear of getting their hair messed up. The fact: 70% of African Americans can’t swim and unable to save a family member or friend if drowning. Davis’ mission is to encourage adults and parents to jump into the water and get fit, break the cycle and stave off health issues.

According to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA.org), drowning is the 5^th leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for all ages in the United States; and, 2^nd leading cause of accidental death amongst children.

Davis says, “Women will not learn how to swim because their concern might be maintaining a hairstyle, while I understand the importance of looking good - learning to swim and enjoying the health benefits of swimming is equally as important. Most African-American women wear their hair chemically straightened or relaxed. The myth has been that the main ingredient in relaxers - sodium hydroxide does not mix well with chlorine and the hair will fall-out. I’ve been a swimmer for over 40 years and my hair is relaxed, healthy and long. I share with my clients that not all hair products are created equal; and, it’s important to invest in quality products to get optimal results for healthy hair.”

swim swim swim I Say has been featured in several media outlets including: AOL Parenting, SiriusXM, WPIX-11, ABC-TV, NBC Today Weekend, The Daily Beast, Jones Magazine, MadameNoire, ABC-TV, DNAinfo, Black Enterprise, WBLSFM-Steve Harvey Morning, The Network Journal and Bronx Net.

sssIS summer session begins July 12^th at Hostos College. To learn more and book a session, visit http://www.swimswimswimisay.com

See Agnes Davis’ Talk Water Safety on AOL Parenting: http://on.aol.com/video/3-life-saving-pool-skills-to-teac...

Agnes Davis’ Tips to Healthy Hair and Swimming:

1) Being healthy is sexy.The most powerful tool is confidence - when you are in control of your health the hairstyle becomes secondary

2) Invest in the good stuff.The best hair products might cost more however worth it. I recommend the following brands: Jane Carter Solution (for all hair types), Shea Moisture and DevaCurl (for natural and curly hair)

3) Talk with your hairstylist. The hairstylist is essential in the process of treating and maintaining the hair with an excellent deep conditioner in and out of the water

4) Monitor your Mood. Swimming is a phenomenal exercise to lose weight, keep stress at bay and live happier.

5) Invest in lessons. Swimming lessons, as noted by the Center of Disease Control, is the best prevention against drowning and staying safe

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About swim swim swim I Say:

swim swim swim I Say (http://www.swimswimswimisay.com) teaches tots, children and adults swimming and water safety. What makes swim swim swim I Say unique compared to other swimming companies is their Fear of Water to Loving the Water Swimming program, which they wrote, copyrighted and trademarked. In addition, swim swim swim I Say instructs individuals with Special Needs that most companies will not work with or have little experience working with.