In this Gold Medal Minute takeover of the SwimSwam Podcast we have the first black woman to break an American and world record and make the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team.
Olympic icon Maritza Correia (now McClendon) has layers. She's more than just a 2004 Olympic swimmer. Her roots run deep in the sport, and she owns more metrics that will make the biggest swim nerd's mind spin. Who is the first swimmer in SEC history to win all of the freestyle events, all free titles, at the SEC Championships? Yep, that's right. Maritza. Impressed?
Maritza was and still is a trailblazer, and she's never stopped giving back to the sport. Yes, she's the first black woman to break the big records and earn her spot on the Olympic Team, but she's still in swimming, working to make the sport accessible to all children of all social economic levels.  Most often that starts with the gift of learning how to swim. Go to her website and do a deep dive.
When I think of Maritza, I do think of a champion, and a person on a mission to improve lives through the sport, but I also saw her for years and years at swimming events working in marketing for big swimwear brands. She was always there, always working, always the most professional person in the room.  Maritza's a grown woman and mother, and she has a lot to share, especially in the wake of the George Floyd's murder May 25th of this year.  If I ever had or have a question on the top of being a black swimmer in our sport, Maritza tops the list of people I trust to give me the facts, no matter how hard they may be to hear.
In this podcast we cover black lives matter, and swimming, but there is always more to know and ask. If you have a question, please share it hear. We can always ask Maritza back for another episode.
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