Intentional inclusion is a great way to get everyone in the pool

Canada is well-positioned to cement its legacy in swimming this summer at the Paris Olympics, with stars such as Summer MacIntosh, Maggie Mac Neil and Josh Liendo blazing trails.

But despite its popularity, elite swimming is also one of the sports that remains predominantly white in its participation. The IDEAS lab at University of Toronto authored a report detailing the racial breakdowns of sports across university and college campuses in Ontario. Unsurprisingly, the research shows swimming does not have racial diversity like football, basketball or soccer. 

As a child, I swam competitively at the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club for two years and enjoyed it. There were zero discussions on inclusion and diversity and I felt out of place sometimes, but it was Halifax in the 1980s. To my recollection, there was not a single Black swimmer at the club at that time. 

But how are we doing now? Are more pools and swimming spaces welcoming for Black athletes? Could swimming organizations do better in learning about inclusion in the sport and how to connect with communities that may be under-represented? 

Swimming Canada has an article on their website from 2021 that features Debbie Armstead, Canada's first Black swimmer on the national team. Team Canada's Josh Liendo often amplifies his own experience as a role model for young Black swimmers.

Swim Ontario has a feature from 2023 on its website about Jacky Bedford-Henriques, a Jamaican swimming coach. And in 2017, Chantique Carey-Payne became the first Black university swimming head coach when she was named to lead U of Guelph's team. It's important to see these accomplishments. But what about the day-to-day work? 

Black History Month (BHM) could be a great opportunity to educate the