There is low participation and high drowning rates among African-American adolescents and young adults, due to a lack of resources, accessibility, and swimming literacy.
Whether they know it or not, they need help—swimming is a health & safety tool, & our rising generation has every right to learn it.

Overview

Lack of knowledge is not, lack of ability. In a nation where a mere 1.4% of swimmers are African American, SwimPark emerges as a beacon of change. With 64% of African American children lacking basic swim skills, the disparity is not just a statistic-—it's a call to action. For me, it's a personal crusade, born from witnessing the dire need for resources, accessibility and swimming literacy in places like I grew up, where the splash of swimming joy was often silent amongst certain communities.

It's about leveling the playing field, where a child's ability to swim isn't dictated by their zip code. Transforming skateparks into pools, uniting underprivileged youth with the tide of opportunity, and ensuring that the chilling statistic of drowning rates 5.5x to 10x higher among African Americans, becomes a thing of the past.

SwimPark is my pledge to my Bay Area roots — to uplift, to empower, to equip every young dreamer with the skill to swim… and yes — make it fun. This is where community spirit translates into life-saving strokes across the Nation. [“] [“] [“] [“].

-- Junior Inflatable
Swim Glove

Audience

Problem

Remember being a kid? — You couldn’t wait to take off those floaties that were for “babies”…. well, this new fashion-friendly style of swim gear is equipped with a built-in flotation device. With just the tap of a button, individuals learning to swim can instantly inflate & float safely to the surface. Not only reduces the risk of drowning but also caters to all hair types, ensuring inclusivity and empowering everyone to embrace swimming with confidence.

#EmbraceTheWave from your hair to the pool.

With Soul Cap, hair waves stay put, and the pool waves don’t.
Every wave, is a wave worth embracing—Your hair's story won't go untold.

Ditch the scorching hydrants; dive into a cooler summer with Speedo x Soul Cap. Swap the sidewalk sizzle for a poolside splash; #EmbraceTheWave with us, preserve your hair's wave; dive into ours.

A community pool that breaks all the rules. Swimming lessons,
skateboarding sessions, deli-cious food, live graffiti art and music,
even H20 B-Ball as the beats set the backdrop.

As well as an evening premiere of the real film documentaries
“Black People Can’t Swim” — creates an experience that resonates with the youth and young adults of all ages and gets them into action.

2023 Solo Project

Imagine swimming lessons and water safety education rolling into your neighborhood - Literally. Seeing a truck pull a swimming pool through your city. With a swimmer. In it. The passenger of the truck hops in when they hit downtown & splashes the message around. Mobile out-of-home ads, LED lights, and graffiti art decorate this attention-grabbing solution.

Our innovative mobile swim clinics, housed in vibrant shipping containers, bring accessible swimming resources right to underserved communities. Through local collaborations and national non-profits, we identify skatepark locations and convert them into a hub for swimming education.

The “Rising Generation” — Specifically those between 9 and 28 years old, along with parents for consent. In the spirit of inclusiveness, we offer our swim and skate lessons to any young Americans living in underserved and diverse communities who lack swimming facilities and education.

Insight

Lack of knowledge is not, a lack of ability. Despite the high interest in physical activities, African-American youth & emerging adults lack access to culturally inclusive and accessible swimming education, leading to a gap in swimming proficiency and safety. In a nation where a mere 1.4% of swimmers are African American and 64% of young African Americans lack basic swim skills, the disparity is not just a statistic—it's a call to action.

“The SwimPark Mobile Clinic” is an initiative that transforms skateparks into pools and shipping containers into tricked-out swim zones, offering safety education, innovative swim gear & community events to all people in underserved areas across the country. As to, acknowledge the challenges & rewards of learning to swim while highlighting how Speedo & Soul Cap provide the products & experience that enable this event to endure for many years to come.

Social Media:

Edutainment: Dive into our Swim Empowerment Web Series, showcasing transformative stories of black swimmers while educating on historical challenges. What we call our “Swimfluencers” will mentor, inspire, lead workshops, share narratives, and showcase our innovative Inflatable Swim Gear while promoting protective haircare tips — Debunking myths, addressing inherited fears, and discussing solutions, making a splash both online and at our SwimPark Mobile Clinic Events.

Also, enhancing swimming education with interactive resources for schools and a scholarship program supporting black youth in swimming and academics. Amplifying this, is the Social Media Takeover, where Usain Bolt and Cullen Jones lead the #SwimSwitchChallenge, a fun, stereotype-shattering activation to promote swimming as a healthy and enjoyable activity, encouraging diverse participation and highlighting swimming safety.

Swim Empowerment & #EmbraceTheWave

What would happen if Two gold medalists switched jobs for a day?

Usain Bolt, a titan on the track, dives into the water world, while Cullen Jones tests his speed on land. Dive into the intrigue with the Swim Switch Challenge: "When Legends Swap Lanes."

#EmbraceTheWave

“Together, we can create a safe and welcoming space for all swimmers.”
** “Black People Will Swim” is a real non-profit and one of our sponsors **

https://www.blackpeoplewillswim.com/

On average our volunteer-led coalitions have nearly 2,000 members and reaching more than 1 million youth annually and aspire to expand their learn-to-swim programs furthermore via swimpark, ensuring a far-reaching, grassroots impact

We’re making waves with a dual commitment: Starting on Learn to Swim Day in May, each partner organization will receive $5,000 and a suite of products to enhance their programs. Beyond the initial donation, SPEEDO® X SOUL CAP will spotlight these champions of change, directing a collective sum of $40,000 to multiple underserved areas to nurture swimming skills and ensure safety. This strategic effort, running until summer's end in August, will be filled with content to amplify the reach of our message with Diversity in Aquatics, No More Under, Tankproof, Black People Will Swim and other partners focused on curving the current drowning and participation gaps in aquatics,