June 2, 2010 | Story by: admin | Categories: Swimming
Photos by Tom Mousseau
Cary, NC- This past Memorial Day weekend, the Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) hosted the eighth annual Black Heritage Swim Meet attended by over 730 swimmers from 40 teams based all over the country. The race was hosted by the N.C. Aquablazers with 10 teams and 104 swimmers.
Swim Meet Slideshow
Tom Mousseau filed this photographic slideshow of the competition:
Even more photos (57 total) are in the Black Hertage Meet master set.
Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself
According to a U.S.A. Swimming survey, a very high percentage of minority children can’t swim. Black children aged 5-14 drown at 3.1 times the overall rate for white children.
“This (meet) would help us achieve our mission of lowering the drowning statistics for minority swimmers and encouraging more minority swimmers to swim competitively,” Meet Director Kathy Cooper said.
The study as reported in the Wall Street Journal on May 27, went on to cite that the biggest barrier to swimming proficiency isn’t just lack of pools but also parents’ fear of the water translating to not promoting swim lessons for their children. An event of this nature can help to turn that statistic around. The proceeds benefit swim lessons for those that can’t afford it.
The meet organizers asked 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist Maritza Correia and 2008 Gold Medalist Cullen Jones to sign autographs and host several swimming clinics. Correia is the first black woman to win an Olympic medal in swimming; Jones, an N.C. State University graduate, is the first black athlete to win swimming gold.
