Where are They Now?

No More Under

No More Under is a 2023 grantee partner and recipient of a $100,000 grant. Founder and Executive Director Chezik Tsunoda—also a member of Impact 100 Seattle—is a passionate advocate for water safety. "I want to change the conversation. Kids need to know how to keep themselves safe in the water-it should be as natural as buckling your seatbelt."

Turning Tragedy Into Action & Making Water Safety a Top Priority

Chezik started No More Under in 2019, just one year after the death of her three-year-old son, Yori, who drowned in a backyard pool. With drowning being the leading cause of death for children in the US between one and four years old, she became determined to help parents and kids learn about water safety.

A filmmaker by trade, Chezik channeled her energy into the acclaimed film Drowning in Silence to prompt a broader public discussion about drowning, its tragic aftermath, and how it can be prevented. "We don’t hear about the thousands of drownings that happen every year. I felt called to make this film and speak out about it," explains Chezik.

She was eager to do more. Chezik wanted to tear down the barriers of race and income that hold many kids back from learning to swim. Relative to other kids, Black and Brown children are 4-5 times more likely to drown, as are children in families with an income of under $50,000 per year. These are the families that No More Under aims to reach.

Marking Five Years of Remarkable Progress

Five years and a pandemic later, No More Under has made tremendous progress. First, they’re helping more kids learn to swim. In partnership with groups like the YMCA and city pools in Seattle, Tukwila, and Bellevue, they have taught more than 5,000 swim lessons. "It’s incredibly beautiful to see the kids in the pool. You can feel the energy and the joy," explains Chezik.

Parents rave about No More Under’s activities. "As a single-parent household, the free lessons were a tremendous help for our family," said one parent. "Everything was wonderful. It helped me become more conscious that it really is necessary for kids to learn to swim and know what safety steps to take," raved another.

No More Under now seeks to ramp up these efforts through its Swim Safely Series, partnering with colleges and volunteer collegiate swimmers to teach local kids water survival skills. Two of the main barriers to teaching water safety are a lack of instructors and access to pools. Swim Safely’s partnership model tackles both. Last year, the program was piloted at two colleges in Colorado, and in the coming year, No More Under hopes to reach 5-10 more colleges and eventually scale nationwide.

Using Policy and Education to Advance Water Safety

Chezik and her team are also influencing policy. In Seattle, they promoted the Swim Seattle initiative to help kids of all backgrounds have access to swimming opportunities. Mayor Bruce Harrell and city officials started the initiative as a pilot last year.

At the state level, No More Under worked with WA State Rep. April Berg to pass last year’s House Bill 1750, known as Yori’s Law. The law designates May 15th as Washington Water Safety Day, a day to encourage anyone who touches the lives of children to talk about water safety and drowning prevention. The law promotes water safety education and awareness, increases access to swimming lessons, and helps families get the tools and equipment they need.

No More Under joined with Seattle Parks and Recreation, YMCA of Greater Seattle, and other local groups to host the first-ever Water Safety Day event in May 2024. Hundreds of kids, adults, and volunteers gathered at Rainier Beach Community Center and Pool to learn about water safety, pick up free life jackets, and jump in the pool for a swimming lesson.

Next, No More Under hopes to rally support for national water safety education efforts. Chezik is already taking her message to a national audience through media outreach; No More Under was featured on a recent segment on ABC’s GMA 3 program, which reaches more than one million viewers across the country.

The Importance of Impact 100 Seattle's Support

Impact 100 Seattle’s support has made this past year’s progress possible. "We are sincerely grateful; we have felt so much support from the Impact 100 Seattle community. The grant gave us the ability to breathe; we were able to do everything from developing a national program to buying a computer for an employee. Impact 100’s support allowed us to dream and have a break from the constant fundraising," explains Chezik.

"We are sincerely grateful; we have felt so much support from the Impact 100 Seattle community. The grant gave us the ability to breathe; we were able to do everything from developing a national program to buying a computer for an employee. Impact 100’s support allowed us to dream and have a break from the constant fundraising."

Chezik knows there’s much more work to be done. In addition to scaling the Swim Safely program nationwide, No More Under is digging deeper into Washington State education and advocacy. They’re conducting a landscape analysis to determine if and how schools talk about water safety and offer swimming lessons. Then, they’ll work on encouraging water safety discussions in schools each year before summer break.

In the meantime, Chezik is working to expand her team. No More Under currently has one full-time employee and several contract employees, while Chezik volunteers her time. Team capacity is critical for the organization to make bold, positive change. "Swimming is a lifesaving skill; we lose too many people every year to this completely preventable death," says Chezik. "We need to shift our perspective around what it takes to be safe in the water. Everyone should know how to swim; it should be a right."

"Swimming is a lifesaving skill; we lose too many people every year to this completely preventable death. We need to shift our perspective around what it takes to be safe in the water. Everyone should know how to swim; it should be a right."