With a broad historical past that dates again to the early 1400’s in sub-Saharan Africa, swimming has been an enormous a part of Black (African) historical past. SwimJim believes that variety of all types is a key part in motivating at this time’s youth to comply with their greatest desires and extra. We at SwimJim want to spotlight black swimming pioneers of each at this time and yesteryear.
Cullen Jones
Cullen Jones
is the primary African American male swimmer to carry a world file in swimming. On the 2008 United States Olympic Trials, Cullen set the file for the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.59, and he didn’t cease there. He set the 50-meter freestyle American file in 2009 on the U.S. Nationwide Championships with a 21.40.
Cullen was a part of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic groups. In 2008, he teamed up with Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak, and Garret Weber-Gale, and collectively they received the gold medal within the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay, which additionally got here with the world file time of three:08.24- a file which nonetheless stands at this time.
In 2012, Cullen made waves by profitable three medals on the London Olympics. He received silver within the 50-meter freestyle and was a member of the silver medal-winning staff of the 4 x 100-meter freestyle staff, in addition to the gold-winning 4 x 100-meter medley staff.
Lia Neal
Lia Neal
is an Olympic medalist from proper right here in NYC! Born in Brooklyn, Lia took classes with SwimJim just a few years earlier than her Olympic debut in 2012. Within the 2012 London Olympics, Lia received a Bronze medal within the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay. Within the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Neal received the silver medal for a similar occasion.
Within the wake of the Black Lives Issues protests in the course of the summer season of 2020, Lia began “Swimmers for Change”, a not-for-profit group. Neal describes the group as
a grassroots motion involving over 30 Olympic, Paralympic, and US Nationwide staff athletes with the aim of supporting black communities and combating systemic racism.
Tice Davids
Tice Davids
,
a runaway slave from Kentucky escaped by swimming away within the Ohio River. Along with his “proprietor” rowing after him in a ship, Davids swam his strategy to freedom all the way in which to the state of Ohio. His former proprietor was quoted in a neighborhood newspaper implying that he drowned saying he should’ve gotten to his vacation spot “on an Underground Railroad”. Keying the now notorious time period utilized by slaves within the late 1800’s and onward.
