We’re building a world where no one drowns for lack of swim safety.

Bold Waters is a movement rooted in water, courage, and global solidarity. We believe wild swimming can save lives — not just by healing the individual, but by equipping communities with the confidence, skills, and leadership to make drowning a thing of the past.

Why We Exist:

• Drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death globally.

• Most deaths happen in open water — and most are preventable.

• In too many communities, swim safety is a luxury.

• Access is gatekept. Education is unequal. Young lives are lost.

We're here to change that.

What We Do:
Through wild swim retreats, youth leadership training, and international outreach, we create sustainable, ripple-effect change — turning swimmers into leaders, and communities into lifesaving networks.

Our Founder:
Bold Waters was founded by Melona Headley an educator, global youth leader, and lifelong advocate for equity and enrichment. After years of working with young people around the world, she saw one truth repeated over and over again: water is both a source of joy — and a source of danger.
She created Bold Waters to make that joy universal — and that danger preventable.

Our Values:

• Access over ego – water should never be exclusive

• Courage over comfort – we meet fear with action

• Solidarity over charity – we work with, not for communities

• Ripple over splash – deep change moves quietly, but powerfully

Our Promise

Every Bold Waters experience — whether you’re 17 or 57 — contributes to saving lives through swim safety and leadership education.
We are committed to equity, purpose, and practical action.
This isn’t charity. It’s solidarity.