Marla Carnes is mother to a son who died of drowning in March 2007. CrossFit Kids is teaming up with the Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), which seeks to protect children against drowning through preparedness training.
In Part 3, Carnes recounts the aftermath of her son’s passing. In time, the couple had a second child who took the middle name of her brother.
“I just wanted her to have a piece of my son since she didn’t get to know him,” she says.
Marla’s daughter has taken ISR classes.
“I knew that’s what I needed to do for my daughter because that’s what she needed. She needed to know what to do if she was to fall in. I needed to know that she was going to float and to be OK,” she says.
“I was scared at first,” Carnes recalls. But watching a class reassured her that the children do not panic or get close to drowning.
“She ended up loving it,” Carnes says of her daughter. “I am confident she’s safe around the water.”
Through her own suffering, Carnes believe she can help others.
“I feel the whole purpose of my tragedy is to help prevent other people from going through the heartache and hell that I’ve had to experience of losing my son,” she says. “ISR lessons are critical.”
CrossFit Kids supports ISR’s mission that “not one more child drowns.” To find out more, visit www.isrcrossfitkids.com.
Participate in Fight Gone Bad 6 on Sept. 17, 2011, to support the ISR initiative. Sign up for the fundraiser at Sportsgrants.org/fgb6/isr and make a donation by texting “FGB6” to 57682. From outside the U.S., text “FGB6” to 4246751014. The minimum donation is $10 and standard text-message rates apply.
13min 23sec
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Additional audio: CrossFit Radio Episode 136 by Justin Judkins, published Sept. 8, 2010.