With a broad history that dates back to the early 1400's in sub-Saharan Africa, swimming has been a huge part of Black (African) history. SwimJim, believes that diversity of all sorts is a key component in motivating today's youth to follow their biggest dreams and more. As we approach the end of February, we at SwimJim would like to highlight black swimming pioneers of both today and yesteryear.

Simone Manuel is an Olympic medalist, becoming the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic Gold medal in swimming. She not only set an American record, but an Olympic record for Freestyle. As of 2016 Olympics, Simone now has two gold and two silver medals. Simone remains a role model for women worldwide. After winning her first gold medal, Manuel said, "This medal is not just for me. It's for some of the African-Americans that...came before me and have been inspirations and mentors to me. I hope that I can be an inspiration for others."

Jim Ellis is an American swim coach and founder of the P.D.R., (Pride Determination, Resilience) swim team in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the P.D.R. swim team was founded by Ellis who noticed a lack of opportunity for black youth in his community. The P.D.R. team faced lots of harsh backlash from all white swim teams and was even denied the rights to compete in a regional “whites only” swim match. After eventually winning their first championship, the P.D.R. swim team gained lots of local attention and sponsorship. Since then, Jim Ellis has received the President's Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame and even trained Michael Norment, the first black swimmer on the US national swim team. His swimming program has sent swimmers to the swimming trials for every US Olympic team since 1992.

Lia Neal is an Olympic medalist from right here in NYC! Born in Brooklyn, Lia took lessons with SwimJim a few years before her Olympic debut in 2012. In the 2012 London Olympics, Lia won a Bronze medal in the 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay. In the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Neal won the silver medal for the same event.  Tice Davids , a runaway slave from Kentucky escaped by swimming away in the Ohio river. With his “owner” rowing after him in a boat, Davids swam his way to freedom all the way to the state of Ohio. His former owner was quoted in a local newspaper implying that he drowned saying he must’ve gotten to his destination “on an Underground Railroad”. Keying the now infamous term used by slaves in the late 1800's and onward.

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