Friday, February 24, 2023
Lane Leader: Cullen Jones Continues to Impact Sport and Communities
What did you do to get a little bit better today?
These are words that Cullen Jones, Olympic gold medalist and leader in our sport, heard regularly from his mother growing up. They are still his north star and the advice he gives to younger athletes.
Many know the story of five-year-old Jones, who nearly drowned in a water park. After being resuscitated, he popped up and said, “What’s the next ride?”
From an age-group swimmer to Olympic gold medalist, Jones’ journey as an athlete shows dedication, drive and determination. As a professional, he has continued to break down barriers in swimming and in the world of water safety. Jones’ story can inspire us all to make a difference, just by getting a little bit better every day.
After his near-drowning accident, Jones was enrolled in formal swim lessons. It quickly became apparent he was a natural in the water, and eventually joined the Newark Swim Team.
“I was a solid swimmer, earning pink and purple ribbons,” Jones recalled.
For some swimmers, all ribbons are not created equally. They long for the coveted blue and red ribbons to hang across walls in their rooms.
“I got my competitive nature from my dad,” Jones recalled with joy. “And I always looked up to two people: Michael Jordan and, later in my career, Kobe Bryant. If you think about everything we know about ‘Mamba Mentality’, it’s all about being better. One common theme is (Bryant and Jordan) always did extra.”
It all comes back to getting a little bit better every day.
“I always left (practice) with something I considered perfect,” Jones said. “That was my version of Kobe Bryant shooting 50 (extra free throws) in the gym.”
In high school, Jones transferred to the Metro Express Swim Team, where, for the first time, he was the only Black swimmer on the team.
“It was a major culture shock switching clubs,” Jones said. “But it was one of the best teams I’ve ever been on and felt the most welcome.”
Committing entirely to swimming – while giving up competitive basketball – started to pay dividends, as his pink and purple ribbons turned to the desirable blue and red. Ultimately, it was during high school when his dad congratulated him one final time before passing away.
“His last words before he passed away were, ‘He did it’,” Jones remembered through a big smile. “Because I got my AA time (standard). I had been working so hard for that time.”
As Jones continued to break into the swimming scene, he was getting noticed by other swimmers and their families.
“I started to feel the racial tension from parents,” Jones said. “Never the swimmers.”
Jones uses his experiences to continue his pursuit of creating inclusivity in the sport. He remembers his dad telling him, ‘Never let anyone stop you’, taking that advice to heart.
For parents and athletes, Jones encourages taking advantage of resources from USA Swimming’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and Team BLAC (USA Swimming’s Black Leadership in Aquatics Coalition). Athletes can compete in or attend swim meets to help form a stronger sense of community.
“The biggest thing (for parents) is to be as encouraging as possible,” Jones stated. “I’ve been lucky to have some very difficult conversations with changemakers (in swimming and water safety). I’m thankful for them – not only for listening – I’m seeing some of that change being implemented.”
Towards the end of high school, Jones searched to find the right college. He recalled attending his main meet of the season, Junior Olympics, where he was nervous to compete in front of college recruiters.
“For most swimmers that make it to the Olympics, they’re going to Sectionals, they’re in junior camp,” Jones said. “I was at the Junior Olympics. I was thinking I was the man because I was winning my junior and senior year but the first time I wore a paper (tech) suit, I ended up wearing it inside out and backwards because I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Not to mention the suit ripping right at the start …
“For all the swimmers out there, who have had their goggles flip, trust me,” Jones laughed. “It happens to the best of us.”
Jones committed to North Carolina State University, and it was there in Raleigh, N.C. where he built his sprinting foundation.
“I was the fastest 50 freestyler on paper but I was not the best trainer,” Jones said. “I was a stick so the first year I worked really hard in the weight room. It was also my first time doing double practices consistently. Every year I was challenged in a different way.”
Throughout Jones’ collegiate career, he got a bit better every year. As a freshman, he placed sixth in the 50 freestyle and ninth in the 100 freestyle at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships. The next year, he won ACC titles in both events and earned a trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships. He went on to sweep the same titles as a junior and senior. In his third and final NCAA Championships race, Jones took the title in what became his signature event – the 50 freestyle.
As his collegiate career ended, Jones started getting phone calls from sponsors, including Speedo, TYR and Nike. Ultimately signing with Nike, he utilized his relationships with other professional athletes to help shape his career.
“I give a lot of credit to the athletes (at Nike) because they taught me how to be a professional,” Jones said. “Martiza Correia (McClendon), Kaitlin Sandeno, Jason Lezak, Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol. Those folks taught me I could do anything. I really attribute a lot of what I did and what I do today to those people.”
Jones has carried on the tradition of mentoring up-and-coming athletes.
“Cullen has been a big help with my career, giving me inspiration and goals to strive for,” current National Team member David Curtiss said. “Seeing him on the Olympic stage really helps me visualize and realize it is possible for me to do that, as well, and a platform to aim for.”
Getting a little better every day didn’t stop after Jones’ remarkable collegiate career. In 2006, he became the first Black male swimmer to set a world record (4x100-meter freestyle relay, Pan Pacific Swimming Championships), he made two Olympic Teams in 2008 and 2012, he swam on the legendary 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympic Games and he broke the American record in the 50m freestyle at the 2009 U.S. National Championships.
After his gold medal in Beijing, Jones recalls his coach David Marsh telling him, “Now, it’s time to teach you how to swim”.
Ironic, isn’t it? Teaching this powerhouse how to swim after he came home with an Olympic gold medal.
“After coming home from Beijing, for the next 4-6 months, David (Marsh) didn’t let me swim freestyle,” Jones said. “I did a lot of practice backstroke. His focus was really getting me into shape and having me do drills. I couldn’t do flip turns and he said my kick wasn’t right.”
It took almost half a year of getting a little better every day before he mastered a longer stroke.
“I remember it to this day, we were at TAC (Titans),” Jones said. “I did this big, super wide stroke that everyone knows me to do now, and David yelled, ‘Stop!’. He ran over to me and said, ‘Now you can swim freestyle’. That summer, I set the American record.”
Throughout Jones’ athletic career, he pushed boundaries in the water. His professional life is no different. When asked what he is most proud of outside of the water, he said, “My transition from swimming; it was bumpy and scary. And of course, my son. He never wants to get out of the water after swim lessons.”
Jones had the same feelings many experience after hanging up their swim caps.
“I really wanted to find meaning after swimming,” Jones said. “When I retired, I didn’t know what to do and decided to teach swim lessons. Swimming teaches you so many things, like time management, and you can use those skills as a professional. It just flourished from there.”
Currently, Jones sits on the Board of Directors for the USA Swimming Foundation and Diversity in Aquatics, plays an integral role in the Foundation’s annual Make a Splash Tour and is a founding participant, helped form and is an athlete member of Team BLAC and is the Senior Manager of Sports Marketing and Philanthropy at Speedo.
It is safe to say he’s gotten a little bit better every day.
A USA Swimming Foundation ambassador since 2008, Jones supports the growth of the Foundation’s Swim Lesson Provider Network, consisting of more than 1,500 programs and nearly $7 million in Learn to Swim grant awards. In 2022 alone, Jones’ reach while participating in the Make a Splash Tour included approximately 1,500 youths.
Jones is an advocate for water safety in the Black community, pushing organizations he works with to create a more inclusive environment in the water. In 2020, he helped USA Swimming form Team BLAC, which provides expertise and strategic guidance to USA Swimming staff and swimming leaders. In 2021, Team BLAC and USA Swimming presented Illuminating Lanes, a one-of-a-kind mentor-mentee experience for diverse athletes ages 12-16.
In his work with Speedo, Jones has continued to enrich communities through water safety initiatives, developed the Cullen Jones Diversity Invitational sponsored by Speedo and has helped to create inclusivity for all athletes in the sport of swimming.
With his leadership, Speedo has committed to expand grassroots efforts through organizations such as Diversity in Aquatics, No More Under, Tankproof and Black People Will Swim. In honor of Black History Month, Speedo will donate $40,000 to Black-owned businesses that support water safety.
“We are incredibly proud of the work Cullen has done – and continues to do – to bring awareness to the ever important Learn to Swim initiative,” President, Pentland North America Matt Rock said. “Whether it is teaching people how to swim or spearheading our philanthropic efforts, he works tirelessly to combat drowning and increase access and equity in the water. While we are currently focused on helping underserved communities, Cullen is passionate about expanding his reach across the nation so that everyone has access to programs that help them feel safe in and around the water.”
Jones has contributed so much to our community; how can we continue his legacy?
“If you have a swim background, teach swim lessons,” Jones encouraged. “There are just not enough people teaching swim lessons and so many people who don’t know how to swim. Grab someone else and get them in the water; it is a life-saving skill.”
As a community, we can continue the efforts to break down barriers of inequality in our sport.
“Swimmers get nervous behind the blocks,” Jones said. “Imagine having your entire culture on your back, too. Don’t be afraid to have a hard conversation. Really understand someone else’s life. Don’t judge, learn.”
These are words that Cullen Jones, Olympic gold medalist and leader in our sport, heard regularly from his mother growing up. They are still his north star and the advice he gives to younger athletes.
Many know the story of five-year-old Jones, who nearly drowned in a water park. After being resuscitated, he popped up and said, “What’s the next ride?”
From an age-group swimmer to Olympic gold medalist, Jones’ journey as an athlete shows dedication, drive and determination. As a professional, he has continued to break down barriers in swimming and in the world of water safety. Jones’ story can inspire us all to make a difference, just by getting a little bit better every day.
After his near-drowning accident, Jones was enrolled in formal swim lessons. It quickly became apparent he was a natural in the water, and eventually joined the Newark Swim Team.
“I was a solid swimmer, earning pink and purple ribbons,” Jones recalled.
For some swimmers, all ribbons are not created equally. They long for the coveted blue and red ribbons to hang across walls in their rooms.
“I got my competitive nature from my dad,” Jones recalled with joy. “And I always looked up to two people: Michael Jordan and, later in my career, Kobe Bryant. If you think about everything we know about ‘Mamba Mentality’, it’s all about being better. One common theme is (Bryant and Jordan) always did extra.”
It all comes back to getting a little bit better every day.
“I always left (practice) with something I considered perfect,” Jones said. “That was my version of Kobe Bryant shooting 50 (extra free throws) in the gym.”
In high school, Jones transferred to the Metro Express Swim Team, where, for the first time, he was the only Black swimmer on the team.
“It was a major culture shock switching clubs,” Jones said. “But it was one of the best teams I’ve ever been on and felt the most welcome.”
Committing entirely to swimming – while giving up competitive basketball – started to pay dividends, as his pink and purple ribbons turned to the desirable blue and red. Ultimately, it was during high school when his dad congratulated him one final time before passing away.
“His last words before he passed away were, ‘He did it’,” Jones remembered through a big smile. “Because I got my AA time (standard). I had been working so hard for that time.”
As Jones continued to break into the swimming scene, he was getting noticed by other swimmers and their families.
“I started to feel the racial tension from parents,” Jones said. “Never the swimmers.”
Jones uses his experiences to continue his pursuit of creating inclusivity in the sport. He remembers his dad telling him, ‘Never let anyone stop you’, taking that advice to heart.
For parents and athletes, Jones encourages taking advantage of resources from USA Swimming’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and Team BLAC (USA Swimming’s Black Leadership in Aquatics Coalition). Athletes can compete in or attend swim meets to help form a stronger sense of community.
“The biggest thing (for parents) is to be as encouraging as possible,” Jones stated. “I’ve been lucky to have some very difficult conversations with changemakers (in swimming and water safety). I’m thankful for them – not only for listening – I’m seeing some of that change being implemented.”
Towards the end of high school, Jones searched to find the right college. He recalled attending his main meet of the season, Junior Olympics, where he was nervous to compete in front of college recruiters.
“For most swimmers that make it to the Olympics, they’re going to Sectionals, they’re in junior camp,” Jones said. “I was at the Junior Olympics. I was thinking I was the man because I was winning my junior and senior year but the first time I wore a paper (tech) suit, I ended up wearing it inside out and backwards because I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Not to mention the suit ripping right at the start …
“For all the swimmers out there, who have had their goggles flip, trust me,” Jones laughed. “It happens to the best of us.”
Jones committed to North Carolina State University, and it was there in Raleigh, N.C. where he built his sprinting foundation.
“I was the fastest 50 freestyler on paper but I was not the best trainer,” Jones said. “I was a stick so the first year I worked really hard in the weight room. It was also my first time doing double practices consistently. Every year I was challenged in a different way.”
Throughout Jones’ collegiate career, he got a bit better every year. As a freshman, he placed sixth in the 50 freestyle and ninth in the 100 freestyle at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships. The next year, he won ACC titles in both events and earned a trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships. He went on to sweep the same titles as a junior and senior. In his third and final NCAA Championships race, Jones took the title in what became his signature event – the 50 freestyle.
As his collegiate career ended, Jones started getting phone calls from sponsors, including Speedo, TYR and Nike. Ultimately signing with Nike, he utilized his relationships with other professional athletes to help shape his career.
“I give a lot of credit to the athletes (at Nike) because they taught me how to be a professional,” Jones said. “Martiza Correia (McClendon), Kaitlin Sandeno, Jason Lezak, Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol. Those folks taught me I could do anything. I really attribute a lot of what I did and what I do today to those people.”
Jones has carried on the tradition of mentoring up-and-coming athletes.
“Cullen has been a big help with my career, giving me inspiration and goals to strive for,” current National Team member David Curtiss said. “Seeing him on the Olympic stage really helps me visualize and realize it is possible for me to do that, as well, and a platform to aim for.”
Getting a little better every day didn’t stop after Jones’ remarkable collegiate career. In 2006, he became the first Black male swimmer to set a world record (4x100-meter freestyle relay, Pan Pacific Swimming Championships), he made two Olympic Teams in 2008 and 2012, he swam on the legendary 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympic Games and he broke the American record in the 50m freestyle at the 2009 U.S. National Championships.
After his gold medal in Beijing, Jones recalls his coach David Marsh telling him, “Now, it’s time to teach you how to swim”.
Ironic, isn’t it? Teaching this powerhouse how to swim after he came home with an Olympic gold medal.
“After coming home from Beijing, for the next 4-6 months, David (Marsh) didn’t let me swim freestyle,” Jones said. “I did a lot of practice backstroke. His focus was really getting me into shape and having me do drills. I couldn’t do flip turns and he said my kick wasn’t right.”
It took almost half a year of getting a little better every day before he mastered a longer stroke.
“I remember it to this day, we were at TAC (Titans),” Jones said. “I did this big, super wide stroke that everyone knows me to do now, and David yelled, ‘Stop!’. He ran over to me and said, ‘Now you can swim freestyle’. That summer, I set the American record.”
Throughout Jones’ athletic career, he pushed boundaries in the water. His professional life is no different. When asked what he is most proud of outside of the water, he said, “My transition from swimming; it was bumpy and scary. And of course, my son. He never wants to get out of the water after swim lessons.”
Jones had the same feelings many experience after hanging up their swim caps.
“I really wanted to find meaning after swimming,” Jones said. “When I retired, I didn’t know what to do and decided to teach swim lessons. Swimming teaches you so many things, like time management, and you can use those skills as a professional. It just flourished from there.”
Currently, Jones sits on the Board of Directors for the USA Swimming Foundation and Diversity in Aquatics, plays an integral role in the Foundation’s annual Make a Splash Tour and is a founding participant, helped form and is an athlete member of Team BLAC and is the Senior Manager of Sports Marketing and Philanthropy at Speedo.
It is safe to say he’s gotten a little bit better every day.
A USA Swimming Foundation ambassador since 2008, Jones supports the growth of the Foundation’s Swim Lesson Provider Network, consisting of more than 1,500 programs and nearly $7 million in Learn to Swim grant awards. In 2022 alone, Jones’ reach while participating in the Make a Splash Tour included approximately 1,500 youths.
Jones is an advocate for water safety in the Black community, pushing organizations he works with to create a more inclusive environment in the water. In 2020, he helped USA Swimming form Team BLAC, which provides expertise and strategic guidance to USA Swimming staff and swimming leaders. In 2021, Team BLAC and USA Swimming presented Illuminating Lanes, a one-of-a-kind mentor-mentee experience for diverse athletes ages 12-16.
In his work with Speedo, Jones has continued to enrich communities through water safety initiatives, developed the Cullen Jones Diversity Invitational sponsored by Speedo and has helped to create inclusivity for all athletes in the sport of swimming.
With his leadership, Speedo has committed to expand grassroots efforts through organizations such as Diversity in Aquatics, No More Under, Tankproof and Black People Will Swim. In honor of Black History Month, Speedo will donate $40,000 to Black-owned businesses that support water safety.
“We are incredibly proud of the work Cullen has done – and continues to do – to bring awareness to the ever important Learn to Swim initiative,” President, Pentland North America Matt Rock said. “Whether it is teaching people how to swim or spearheading our philanthropic efforts, he works tirelessly to combat drowning and increase access and equity in the water. While we are currently focused on helping underserved communities, Cullen is passionate about expanding his reach across the nation so that everyone has access to programs that help them feel safe in and around the water.”
Jones has contributed so much to our community; how can we continue his legacy?
“If you have a swim background, teach swim lessons,” Jones encouraged. “There are just not enough people teaching swim lessons and so many people who don’t know how to swim. Grab someone else and get them in the water; it is a life-saving skill.”
As a community, we can continue the efforts to break down barriers of inequality in our sport.
“Swimmers get nervous behind the blocks,” Jones said. “Imagine having your entire culture on your back, too. Don’t be afraid to have a hard conversation. Really understand someone else’s life. Don’t judge, learn.”