Page 6
CAREERS Special Edition
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
June 23, 2021
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
Local Black triathlete Morgan Spriggs after volunteering his time to teach swim lessons at the Sherwood Regional Family YMCA. In response to
the conversation generated by the Black Lives Matter movement and in motivation to address inequalities in water safety education in the BIPOC
community, Spriggs has partnered with the Y to teach swim lessons specifically geared to the Black community and other people of color.
Black Swimming Initiative
Local triathete
helps break
down the
barriers
The YMCA is demonstrating
community-building leadership as
it joins the volunteer water safety
group WaterStrong and a few dedi-
cated triathletes to deliver the Black
Swimming Initiative, an effort to
break down barriers to swimming
and water sports that black and
brown people often encounter.
Locally, the effort got its start on
Sunday, Father’s Day, when intro-
ductory Black swimming camps
were held at the Clark County
YMCA in Vancouver for kids of all
ages and their parents and caregiv-
ers.
According to Sam Cox, aware-
ness director for YMCA of the Co-
lumbia-Willamette, plans for future
Black Swimming Initiative events
are in the works.
“Our hope is that this is just the
kickoff event of something bigger,”
he told the Portland Observer.
Local Black triathlete Morgan
Spriggs has partnered with the Y to
help teach the courses. Spriggs was
motivated by the national conversa-
tion generated by the Black Lives
Matter movement and the desire to
address inequalities in water safety
education in the BIPOC communi-
ty.
“Our Black Swimming initiative
seeks to expand meaningful partic-
ipation in water sports by provid-
ing a strong sense of belonging for
black athletes of all backgrounds,
abilities, and lifestyles by support-
ing safe and accessible water safety
and swimming instruction,” Spriggs
said. “Growing up in the North-
west, I was always near a body of
water yet my family was fearful of
entering it.”
With the help of friends, Spriggs
started his journey of swimming in
2013. From not being able to put his
face in the water, he learned how
to manage his childhood trauma
and began competing in sprint and
Olympic distance triathlons.
“As a Black triathlete and swim-
mer, I was taught by several gifted
athletes who believed in my poten-
tial. We are looking to build out a
program so others can receive the
gift of this skill,” he said.
Oregon has the 10th highest rate
of deaths due to drowning nation-
wide at 1.4 deaths for every 100,000
C ontinued on p age 12