Cullen Jones, who nearly drowned at a water park when he was 5, turned that near tragedy into an Olympic career. After his parents enrolled him in swimming lessons, Jones went on to become the first African-American male swimmer to hold a world record and the second African American to win a gold medal, as a member of the 4x100 freestyle team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the 2012 London Games, he won gold as a member of the 4x100 medley team and silver as a member of the 4x100 freestyle team. He also earned his first individual medal, taking silver in the 50-meter freestyle. At a time when 70 percent of African-American children don't know how to swim, Jones is a water-safety advocate for USA Swimming Foundation's "Make A Splash" initiative, which is dedicated to decreasing the number of drowning deaths by teaching children to swim.
2012
62
Champion swimmer and Olympian who advocates for water safety.
Olympic swimmer and water-safety advocate
Cullen
Jones
Sports
Men
New in 2012
@CullenJones
Charlotte, N.C.
28
25-29
G-M
Male
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wapolabs.appstream.cullenjones