How to Prove Them Wrong: Breaking barriers in swimming, with four-time Olympic medalist Cullen Jones

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Episode Summary:
Swimming  has always been something that the black culture can do. Trust me, I've been to the Olympics. Team Nigeria, Team South Africa. It's a problem in the U.S. And it starts with the culture. We have to stop saying we don't swim. Yes. We. Do.
 
Olympic gold-medal winning swimmer Cullen Jones’ journey into the sport started with a near drowning when he was five-years old. The experience left him terrified of deep water – as soon as he couldn’t touch the floor he would panic. But his mother was adamant that her son learn how to swim and with incredible determination and against a lot of odds, Cullen  became one of the fastest in the world.

In this episode, Cullen takes us through his journey from being a kid scared to jump into the pool to facing racism at swim meets and going on to break a world record in swimming.  He tells us about Brad the instructor who taught him to love swimming and about the time Serena Williams gave him a shout of encouragement before a big race. Cullen also gets candid about the barriers he faced as an African American swimmer, what he is doing now to change the swimming narrative in the Black community, and his mission to ensure underserved communities learn the life-saving skill of swimming.

About Cullen Jones:
Cullen Jones is a four time Olympic medalist and the first African American to break a world record in swimming. As a member of Team USA, he made history by helping break world records and winning gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in what many say was the most exciting race in Olympic History. Off the pool deck, he is a passionate advocate for water safety. Cullen serves as an ambassador and board member of the USA Swimming Foundation and works with GoldFish Swim School to help make swimming lessons more accessible to underserved communities.

Connect with Cullen:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cullenjones41/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cullenjones/?hl=en
Team USA: https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/cullen-jones

About The Breakout
The Breakout is the hit podcast hosted by human resources and change experts Dr. Keri Ohlrich and Kelly Guenther. The founders of Abbracci Group, a results-driven coaching, HR Management and consulting firm, Keri and Kelly are laser-focused on getting the best out of people. They launched The Breakout in early 2023 to find the best stories and advice on busting boundaries and making change, and since then the show has charted #1 in self-improvement, #1 in education, and #7 in all podcasts.

Join Keri and Kelly on The Breakout as they get advice and insights from change experts, and learn from people who have really done it how you can dive into personal growth, increase self confidence, and move your life into bold new territory.

Each episode comes with lessons on living courageously, with topics on self-help, leadership, personal development, building success, setting personal boundaries, growing your confidence, overcoming self doubt, and knowing your self worth. From huge transformations to quiet shifts, The Breakout highlights why every change matters.

At Abbracci Group, Keri and Kelly offer a four-step coaching process to help you increase your self-awareness, break out of expectations, and live life on your terms.  Learn more at abbraccigroup.com.

Keri and Kelly’s new book Whatever the Hell You Want – An Escape Plan to Break Out of Life’s Little Boxes and Live Free From Expectations, will be out in October 8 2024 and is available for pre-order now! Dr. Keri Ohlrich’s book The Way of the HR Warrior is available now.

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