What if? Network for Diversity and Inclusion
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Olympic Gold Medalist hopes to Inspire Minorities swimmers
Today, 24 year old Cullen Jones, a Bronx native won the Olympic Gold Medal in the 2008 Olympics by helping his relay team to win the 4X100 freestyle in Beijing. Cullen became just the second African American to win an Olympic gold medal for swimming in U.S history, but he hopes that this historic win will inspire kids that look like him to break through the stereo type that African American do not swim.
"I hope this exposure from the race today, a kid can see this and say, 'Wow, a black swimmer - and he's got a gold medal,'" Jones said at a media event for a tour promoting diversity in swimming. "The stigma of 'black people don't swim' is coming to an end."
Cullen has long been an advocate to teach young African American how to swim competitively, and he feels that with his gold medal, he can now begin to inspire inner city youth to venture in the sport.
"I said before the Olympics, I can't make an impact without getting a little hardware at the Olympics," Jones said. "I guess now I have to put my money where my mouth is."
What are your thoughts?
How can seeing someone who looks like you do something that has never been done, inspire someone to achieve?
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