Simone Manuel describes the moment she became the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic swimming gold medal in a way that illustrates a struggle of her career — one that she’s combatting with a fresh start in the sport.
“I guess I have to say Rio gold,” she told Yahoo Sports when asked to choose her favorite career moment. “That’s what people know me the most for, so I feel like I kind of have to answer that way.” The 26-year-old has won four other Olympic medals, in addition to being a 14-time NCAA champion and 16-time World Championships medalist — 11 of them gold.
Her reply reflects a pressure to meet the expectations of people who may not fully understand her experience. That phenomenon is a major theme of “Head Above Water,” the documentary Manuel released in January.
Continue reading (via Yahoo! Sports)
