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Cullen Jones Quotes
born 1984 United States
Cullen Andrew Jones (born February 29, 1984) is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who specialized in freestyle sprint events.
United States Sportspeople Random Cullen Jones quote
10 quotes
I got out of the pool, I went into the bathroom, and I just started crying. I thought, ‘I get it. This is what I need to be doing.
It can take as little as 20 seconds for a kid to drown,I was under water for 30 seconds.
We need to make sure that these young people, as they’re coming up, they understand that they can look to us.
George Floyd’s death is a catalyst for me, Just emboldens me to do more.
We need to keep our mouths open about things that are going on because we are the faces of what USA Swimming is in diversity.
But, after George Floyd’s death, I was of course enraged and upset.
Crips and the Bloods, gun shots, everything, that’s what I grew up around, I leave my house, and I don’t wear certain colors because I don’t want one side to get upset.
The guy looks, and he goes, oh, you’re that Black swimmer that went to the Olympics. OK, well you have a good day. Took off, There’s so many different ways that this still happens today.
I was not instructed to speak out at the time, I was instructed to work harder and not let anyone get in my way. That determination is what led me to the podium at the Olympic Games.
Many times we’re expected to be athlete first, and then Black second, (Neal and Ervin each have one African-American parent. Ervin’s dad is three quarters African American and one quarter Native American.)