Float Like A Duck water safety initiative presented three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines with the Water Safety Hero Award for going above and beyond to promote water safety through his actions and programs.
Two-time International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee, Gaines has leveraged his personal achievements in swimming to inspire others, encourage swimming activity and advocate for water safety. Known as the “Voice of Swimming” and “Swimming’s Greatest Ambassador,” his appointment as the leader of the PHTA Step Into Swim initiative in 2021 sparked a major turning point for the association and its efforts in water safety.
His passion for swimming and rally cry for water safety has influenced manufacturers and pool companies to aid the Step Into Swim program with generous financial contributions, supporting grants for no-cost swim programs across the US.
Float Like A Duck under the auspices of Paragon Pools Las Vegas established the awards program to recognize Water Safety Heroes across the globe as part of the organization’s ongoing efforts to enhance a culture of water safety.
Established in 2020, the award was created to acknowledge those who embody traits of a Hero; Courage, Passion, Integrity, Confidence, Honesty, Patience, Selflessness, Caring, Supportive, and Humility, in the name of Water Safety.
Bestowed in-person when possible as well as digitally on the website and through social media, the Water Safety Hero award is presented in two distinct categories: Performing a Lifesaving Act and the Promotion of Water Safety. Gaines is the first inductee to receive the award in the category of the Promotion of Water Safety.
Float Like A Duck Founder Joseph M. Vassallo, CBP, PHTA Fellow presented the award to Gaines on October 23, 2025, during the Pool and Spa Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Rowdy truly embodies the traits of a Hero. His passion for the sport combined with his resolve to provide swimming opportunities for the disadvantaged are truly honorable,” states Vassallo. “As a five-time recipient of the Step Into Swim grant, we are honored to share in his work by providing free swimming lessons across the Las Vegas valley.”
For more information about Float Like A Duck Water Safety Hero Awards go to
Water Safety Hero.
