Eighty Alhambra and San Gabriel Valley children practiced their freestyle strokes Tuesday morning in the West San Gabriel Valley YMCA pool, joining a group of 35,000 kids around the globe to break the Guinness world record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson. The young swimmers broke last year's tally of 25,000 participants.

Coordinated by a group of water safety and training organizations, the event took place at 700 locations across the globe and began at 8 a.m. PST, according to The World's Largest Swimming Lesson. This is the fourth consecutive year the team of organizations has broken the record.

Valarie Gomez, executive director of the West San Gabriel Valley YMCA, said the nonprofit hosted the event to teach kids how to stay safe in the pool. “This event not only teaches kids proper water technique but also awareness about water safety," Gomez said.

Alhambra Mayor Steven Placido and members of the fire department attended the event, cheering alongside local parents and grandparents whose children were participating in the lesson.