Two-time Paralympic swimmer Jamal Hill (@swimuphill) grew up swimming in Inglewood, California in the shadows of airplanes flying in and out of LAX International Airport.
Little could he or his parents know that his early lessons at the Westchester Family YMCA would eventually lead him to represent the United States from Tokyo to Paris at the Paralympics, from Peru to Portugal, and many places in between. And appear on massive billboards throughout the City of Los Angeles, from Sunset to Sepulveda Blvds.
But those early swims in the warm 25-yard pool and the cooler Santa Monica Beach set the foundation for his global travels and his Swim Up Hill Foundation. “Our mission is to teach 1 million people annually how to swim through the Swim Up Hill method, an innovative, accessible, and rapid swim-education program that empowers individuals, prevents drowning and promotes equity in marginalized communities,” explains the personable 29-year-old with 259K Instagram followers of his style and adventures.
Hill has muscular neuropathy, a degenerative disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth, and competes in the S9 category for swimmers who have joint restrictions in one leg or double below-the-knee amputations.
Steven Munatones says, “Guided by healer and swim coach Wilma Wong of Golden Rebels in Pasadena, Jamal’s passion to teach swimming and to inspire others, to laugh and explore his full potential, is so evident; those characteristics runs through his DNA. His joy is infectious. His focus on facing and overcoming obstacles is remarkable. I know many people are going to be very happy and proud to see him standing on top of the podium in Paris where he is seeded second going into the Paralympics. Jamal deserves every accolade, recognition, respect, and award he receives – and earns.”
For more information on Swim Up Hill, visit here.
His 50m freestyle race at the Paris Paralympic Games is scheduled on September 2nd.
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