Fresh Off Winning Gold, U.S. Water Polo Goalie Ashleigh Johnson Out To Fix Misperceptions About African Americans In Aquatics
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Olympic heroes are returning from the Games with their medals around their necks and words of inspiration.
As CBS2's Steve Overmyer reported Wednesday, one gold medalist is also a champion for overcoming racial barriers in water sports.
"Everyone's just like, 'Oh, can I touch it? I don't want to break it!' But it's like this is as much theirs as it is ours," U.S. water polo goalie Ashleigh Johnson said.
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It's not surprising this gold medalist with a megawatt smile uses terms like "ours" and "we." As the first African American on the women's Olympic water polo team, her goal is better representation.
"Looking at the history of inclusion and exclusion in aquatics spaces for people of color, the story has been that Black people don't swim for so long. If I can do anything to start to change that story and tell 'us' a new story about ourselves, then I'm gonna do it," Johnson said.
Johnson began swimming as a child in Miami. She became a state champion swimmer, but in water polo she has become the best in the world.
"Not just the best, but I need to put this in perspective here. Your counterpart had a save percentage of 19% in that gold medal match. Yours was 73%!" Overmyer noted.
"It's really cool that all of the hard work that we put in is paying off. We won the gold medal. Our success is obviously a reflection of all the things we've put into this," Johnson said.
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It's also giving her a larger platform to change perceptions.
"I know that just by being here I can change the narrative for Black people in aquatics. I can be a beacon, I can be a mirror for young Black girls to look at and see themselves in," Johnson said.
"When you're the first you want to make sure you're not the last?" Overmyer asked.
"Exactly," Johnson said.
"You're planting the guideposts for others to fall in line."
"Yeah, I'm placing the footpaths that are making a trail that I know other people are already following," Johnson said.
The USA Swimming Foundation reports over the past decade we've seen a 10% increase in African American youth in aquatic sports. Still, 64% of African American children have little to no swimming ability.
"Find someone who believes in you and imitate them, because you need to believe in yourself. But in those moments that you don't, they are going to be your inspiration," Johnson said.
And who better to give inspiration than a trailblazing gold medalist?
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