Olympic Swimmer Simone Manuel Eyes 2028 LA Gold

At age 5, Simone Manuel was already swimming with kids three years older, and her talent was so obvious that another parent nicknamed her "Swimone."

Two decades later, that Sugar Land prodigy became the first African American woman to win individual Olympic gold in swimming at the 2016 Rio Games. Now 29 and living in Austin, Manuel is pushing toward her fourth Olympics in Los Angeles 2028 with the same determination that carried her through a childhood filled with both extraordinary talent and painful discrimination.

The journey to the podium wasn't just about mastering freestyle sprints. Manuel remembers being 11 years old and the only kid on her swim team not invited to a birthday party, a stark reminder she wasn't as welcome as she wanted to be. She faced skepticism from Black community members too, who laughed when she said she swam instead of running track.

Every doubt fueled her fire. Manuel went on to dominate at Stanford University and collect seven Olympic medals across three Games, plus more than 20 World Championship medals.

But Manuel isn't just focused on her own success. Five years ago, she cofounded Togethxr alongside soccer star Alex Morgan, snowboarder Chloe Kim, and basketball legend Sue Bird. The media company gives female athletes a platform to share their stories and inspire young girls who need to see themselves represented in sports.

She also launched the Simone Manuel Foundation to provide swimming education and resources for young people of color. "It's still in its growth phase," she says, acknowledging that her busiest work will come after retirement. For now, she's balancing foundation growth with nine pool sessions and three weight room workouts every week.

Why This Inspires

Manuel's story proves that barriers can become fuel. Every time someone questioned whether she belonged in a pool, she dove in deeper. Every injury that threatened to derail her Olympic dreams taught her perseverance she'd need for the next challenge.

At 29, when many athletes consider retirement, Manuel is taking her training "day by day" toward Los Angeles 2028. She's learned to think of her swimming journey in bite-size pieces, staying present in each lap rather than getting overwhelmed by the distance ahead.

Meanwhile, her foundation and media work ensure that the next generation of swimmers won't face the same isolation she did. They'll see themselves reflected in her gold medals and know they belong in every pool, every podium, every space they choose to enter.

Manuel isn't just making history anymore—she's making sure other young swimmers can write their own.