Olympian Cullen Jones Urges Black and Brown Communities to ‘Learn to Swim’ During National Water Safety Month | EUR Video Exclusive
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
*As May marks National Water Safety Month, four-time Olympic medalist and world record holder Cullen Jones is using his platform to advocate for water safety and equity in swim access, especially in Black and brown communities where drowning rates remain disproportionately high.
“At the age of five, I nearly drowned at a water park,” Jones says. “I think the way that my situation happened, it’s something that a lot of people can resonate with. I was at a water park with my parents. I was fully supervised. I wasn’t horse playing. And I was still able to go underwater because my parents were distracted. The lifeguard was distracted. They didn’t see me.”
Jones, who became the first Black American to hold a world record in swimming, says that experience defined his purpose.
“I won a gold medal in 2008… It took a village to get me there. And so for me, since I have this soapbox I get to stand on, my big thing is trying to get other people to understand the importance of learning to swim, especially when it comes to people that look like me in the Black and brown community.”
He continues: “The numbers are staggering. Sixty-four percent of Black Americans don’t know how to swim. Fifty-three percent of Latino Americans don’t know how to swim. And thirty-eight percent of Caucasians don’t know how to swim. That’s a U.S. problem. We need to change culturally when it comes to that.”
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Jones is now working with Diversity in Aquatics, an organization he believes in so deeply that he “joined the board.” Their mission is clear: increase access and break down barriers.
“We understand that access is a big deal. So we want to make sure… that road for that next swimmer, hopefully that next Olympian, [is] a little bit easier,” he says.
Jones’s journey included fear and resistance, common feelings among many first-time swimmers. “There were definitely hurdles throughout my career, one of which was just getting over my fear after what happened to me at that water park. I went through five different teachers,” he says. He shares this so others know they’re not alone. “It resonates with a lot of people…we are done traumatizing the next generation. We want them to be safe around the water.”
Access is a key issue Jones is trying to solve: “Growing up in the city, originally from New York, I grew up in New Jersey. It was so hard to find pools. Nowadays, we’re trying to make that so much easier.” Jones urges people to log into diversityinaquatics.org/findapool to find a local pool or swimming program.
Part of his mission is also tackling common myths and fears: “You’re never too young. You’re never too old… My son, he’s five years old. I put him in the water at six months… My mom… she’s over seventy. She’s in swim lessons now.”
Jones wants people to understand that swimming is about learning how to “manipulate the water… Get registered, certified lessons… It might not be the first teacher. It might not be the second teacher, but be consistent,” he says.
He breaks down the three biggest barriers communities of color face when it comes to swimming: “Number one… fear. Number two… parental backing. And number three… physical appearance.”
On cultural barriers like hair and swimwear, Jones doesn’t shy away: “Ladies with your hair, Black women with hair… I understand that. But is it worth your life? I say no. Take a summer, put your hair in braids, and learn to swim… Once you learn, you never will forget.”
Changing the future, he says, starts with access and courage: “You will not die if you don’t know how to play basketball… But being near water and not having proper instruction is a life-threatening situation.”
Jones is also advocating for policy change: “We’ve been on the Hill lobbying for monies to try to back different policies… We don’t want pools filled… We just need to understand and change the thought process… looking at them as an opportunity.”
He reminds policymakers of a time when “you couldn’t graduate college until you could swim across a pool.” Jones wants to revitalize that kind of thinking.
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For parents and caregivers still hesitant, his message is direct and compassionate: “I understand your apprehension, especially if you’ve had a negative experience. We need to make sure that our children are safer on the water. And that starts by getting the access to the pools… and then the second thing, go get these swim lessons.”
As temperatures rise and families head to pools, lakes, and beaches this summer, Jones’s message is clear: water safety is not optional, it’s essential. “We have the answer. It’s swim lessons,” he says.
Whether you’re a parent, policymaker, or community leader, now is the time to act. Visit diversityinaquatics.org/findapool, enroll in certified lessons, and help build a future where every child, regardless of background, has the chance to thrive in the water.
Watch our conversation with Cullen Jones via the clip below.
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