Split Swim

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02/29/2024

We hope everyone had an amazing Black History Month! This year, we wanted to do something different to celebrate BHM, and recognize a Black woman that has been significant in the world of swimming. In our research, we found Maritza Correia McClendon, the first Black woman to win an NCAA Championship in Swimming (in 2000), hailing from none other than Tampa, Split Swim’s home. In her 4 years at University of Georgia (2000-03), she won 11 NCAA titles in total, consistently set records at UGA (becoming the first Black American to hold an American record), and held the title of 27-time All-American. She then went on to be the first Black woman to make the USA Olympic Swim team (in 2004), where she took home a Silver Medal on the 400FR relay team. Now a badass mom with 2 kids, Maritza partners with USA Swimming’s Swim 1922 program & Sigma Gamma Rho in her own time, with a goal of lowering drowning rates within the African-American community. In short, she is INCREDIBLE.
Source: guyanesegirlsrock.com & georgiadogs.com