Jamal Hill

Started: He began swimming as an infant as part of a YMCA Mommy and Me programme. He swam in his first competition at age seven, and continued to compete against non-Para swimmers throughout his childhood, high school and college years. In 2018 he took part in his first Para swimming competition. (teamusa.org, 22 Sep 2020; simplyswim.com, 22 Jul 2019; blackkidsswim.com, 20 Nov 2018) Reason: He was reluctant to compete in Para swimming until he met coach Wilma Wong in 2018. She encouraged him to open up about his impairment. "Wong told me I could go to the Paralympics. In training we noticed that my dives needed improvement because my legs weren't functioning, and we finally started talking about it [Para swimming] openly. I wish I'd started sooner." (menshealth.com, 14 Jul 2021; lastandardnewspaper.com, 21 Nov 2018; blackkidsswim.com, 20 Nov 2018) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (teamusa.com, 24 Nov 2023) Awards: In 2021 he won the Cullen Jones Aquatic Athlete of the Year Award, presented by Diversity in Aquatics, in the United States of America. (swimuphill.com, 01 Jun 2021) Additional Info: PARA SWIMMING SWITCH After struggling to meet his own expectations in non-Para swimming while training at Hiram College and later with the postgraduate team at the University of Southern California [USC], he began working with coach Wilma Wong. She noticed his impairment and suggested he switch to Para swimming. "I started to realise what I needed in a coach - a personal coach. I need someone who is paying attention to me, and I found Wilma Wong through another swimmer. She was the one who got me on the Paralympic track and helped me to ultimately open up about my disability." (foxla.com, 01 Feb 2022; latimes.com, 15 Dec 2021; blackkidsswim.com, 20 Nov 2018) OTHER ACTIVITIES He is the founder and president of Swim Up Hill, a non-profit organisation that offers virtual swimming lessons. He founded Swim Up Hill in 2018 with the aim of reducing the number of drownings in the United States of America. "My mission is to teach one million people how to swim [annually], and I now work with swim schools all across Los Angeles to help the schools facilitate more lessons for lower cost to the customer. The drowning rates around the nation show that we have black and brown children drowning at almost three times the rate of white children, so I can help to change that." (LinkedIn profile, 12 May 2022; teamusa.org, 22 Sep 2020; blackkidsswim.com, 20 Nov 2018) LEADER In 2022 the United Nations named him among the 17 Young Leaders for Sustainable Development Goals for his actions to teach people how to swim and to eradicate high drowning rates around the globe. (openwaterswimming.com, 27 Sep 2022; un.org, 01 Sep 2022)