O’FALLON, Mo. – The O’Fallon Park Makos Swim Team is bringing changes to a racial disparity statistic.
The CDC reported that black children ages 10 to 14 drown in pools at rates over seven times higher than white children.
“A lot of African Americans weren’t raised around the water…. they didn’t have the facilities for one. Now, they’re getting more and more availability,” Terea Goodwin, head coach, said.
The O’Fallon Park Rec Makos Swim Team is an all-African American swim team that competes on a national level and recently joined U.S.A. swimming. They have been invited to attend the U.S. Olympics preliminaries and finals this summer.
Practicing every weekday, they are gearing up for regionals this year.
“The last two years we’ve came in second; this year we are going for first,” Goodwin said.
Chevon Weaver, parent of Madison Weaver and volunteer coordinator, holds pride that her daughter made it to the division 1 championships.
“It makes me a proud mom, but it also gives me a passion because we are underrepresented,” she said. “And when you go into the swim meets, you literally see that our children are the only black children you see.”
Madison believes it is important that everyone learns how to swim.
“I think you should learn to prevent you from drowning. And it also a fun thing to do just to know how to swim,” she said. “If somebody asked you what do you know how to do or something like that, (you say) ‘I know how to swim.’”
Another swimmer simply loves the competition.
“One of the most reasons why I love swimming is that you can compete against others, and you can drop your time and your coaches get happy,” Denver Pettis, O’Fallon Park Rec Makos swimmer, said.
To learn more information about O’Fallon Makos Swim Team, email makos.swimmers@gmail.com.
To make a donation, checks can be made payable to the O’Fallon Park Recreation Makos Swim Team and dropped off at the O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex (4343 W. Florissant Ave., St. Louis).
