Changing the Face of Swimming: Notre Dame student-athlete leads effort to provide swim lessons to kids from all backgrounds | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Changing the Face of Swimming: Notre Dame student-athlete leads effort to provide swim lessons to kids from all backgrounds Changing the Face of Swimming: Notre Dame student-athlete leads effort to provide swim lessons to kids from all backgrounds Published: April 06, 2022 Author: Erin Blasko Cason Wilburn (Photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame) As the son of a former college swimmer, Cason Wilburn was introduced to the water at a young age, before he could walk or even sit up. “My mom taught me how to swim at like 6 weeks,” said Wilburn, a junior at the University of Notre Dame and a member of the men’s swimming and diving team. “She threw me in the water and made sure I was comfortable.” Growing up in coastal Virginia, Wilburn, whose mom, Cassondre Wilburn, swam in college and later coached her son, started swimming competitively at the age of 4. He showed immediate promise, setting records for his age group and winning state titles. By the time he was a senior in high school, he owned a state record in the 100-meter freestyle and was competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. But while he enjoyed the water, he could not help but notice something conspicuous about his fellow swimmers: They were all white. “I was the only Black swimmer on my high school team,” Wilburn said. “I was the only Black swimmer on the national team in high school.” Not one to ignore a problem, Wilburn organized swimming lessons for mostly Black youth in southeast Virginia as a way to attack the problem at the source by providing a safe and welcoming environment for kids of all backgrounds to learn about swimming and water safety from youthful mentors/instructors. Now, after a couple of false starts because of the pandemic, he is offering the same opportunity to South Bend-area youth. To read the full story, click here.  Posted In: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Community News Athletics Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related September 30, 2022 New prison education initiative joins Center for Social Concerns September 29, 2022 ACE program prepares educators for next generation of linguistically diverse students September 28, 2022 Tyson Yunkaporta, Indigenous Australian scholar and Nasr Book Prize winner, to visit campus September 28, 2022 Notre Dame brings home football experience pageantry to Las Vegas for Shamrock Series September 27, 2022 Alpha Phi Alpha president to be featured ‘fireside chat’ guest For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn