Elise Cerami was a passionate, experienced, and physically fit competitive swimmer who drowned during warm-ups at a club practice on June 20, 2016.
In her honor, the Swim4Elise Foundation nonprofit was established to initiate “a positive wave of change” for USA Swimmers by increasing awareness of water safety.
Our mission is based on an inspirational poem Elise wrote when she was nine years old.
Believe in yourself every day, you see…
Y stands for you can do it
O stands for opportunities
U stands for use your brain
R stands for right instead of wrong
S stands for share your ideas
E stands for excellence comes from hard work
L stands for live what you think
F stands for face your problems.
Remember when you believe in yourself—
You become the best you that you can be!
The Swim4Elise Foundation works to honor the life of Elise Cerami by raising awareness of water safety through swimming scholarships and community outreach education. Our message is filled with purpose and promise as we focus on the following areas:
- Utilize the Run4Elise community event to create a water safety awareness platform
- Share our water safety message with USA Swimming Athletes, while recognizing dedicated swimmers with swim camp and college scholarships
- Equip those closest to the water with lifesaving water safety skills by sponsoring lifeguard certifications for USA Swimming Athletes and Coaches
- Foster the standard that one day all USA Swimming Coaches will be lifeguard-certified
- Provide Daycare Outreach Education during the summer months, encouraging children to swim only when an adult is watching, regardless of their skill level
- Partner with the community to develop water safety advocates who will help further the message of water safety and share the true definition of drowning
