Anthony Ervin to Join Imagine Swimming’s Annual Brooklyn Swims Event

Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center pool; Photo Courtesy: Imagine Swimming/Brett Beyer

Anthony Ervin to Join Imagine Swimming’s Annual Brooklyn Swims Event

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin will join forces with Imagine Swimming for its annual Brooklyn Swims event on Tuesday.

The annual outreach event will take place at Imagine Swimming’s new facility, the Major R. Owens Health and Wellness Community Center in Crown Heights. Around 25 children from nearby Ebbets Field Apartments will attend the learn-to-swim clinic hosted by Ervin.

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Ervin will also share his inspirational story with the kids, as the first African American swimmer to win an Olympic medal for the United States. The clinic will focus on basic water safety and drowning prevention education.

“I’m always eager to use the platform my swimming career has given me to effect positive change for others,” Ervin said in an Imagine Swimming release. Ervin had previously worked as an instructor for Imagine Swimming. I’m grateful for the opportunity to teach these kids about water safety and the sport of swimming.”

The 40-year-old Ervin has one of the most illustrious sprint histories in the sprot’s history. At age 19, he tied for the gold medal in the men’s 50 freestyle with fellow American Gary Hall Jr. at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He added silver in the men’s 400 free relay at those games. Sixteen years later, he became the oldest man to win a gold medal in the Olympics when he won the 50 at the Rio Olympics, adding relay gold. Ervin also won two long-course World Championships in 2001.

He’s long been an outspoken advocate for racial justice and representation in swimming. He’s also a member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Athletes’ Advisory Council.

“This is all about making swim safety instruction accessible,” Imagine Swimming’s chief aquatics officer Brendan O’Melveny said. “Every day, there are nearly 10 accidental drowning deaths in this country, and it’s preventable. Further, the fatal-drowning rate of Black and African American children is three times higher than that of white children. We want to start changing these statistics, and our annual BROOKLYN SWIMS event is one way we can help. It’s all the more special this year, as we had to cancel the event last year due to the pandemic, and now, we will be joined by three-time Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin, our close friend, Imagine alum, and one of the fastest human beings ever to race through water.”

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Krishna Venkatram

2 years ago

This is great!!!I would love to go.