JAMAICA, NY — (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) Paulana Lamonier ’14, who competed in the pool for the York College women’s swim team from 2009-13 as a journalism and English major, is the founder and CEO of Black People Will Swim, a cause-driven organization that works to shatter the stereotype that black people don’t swim. She nurtured her love of swimming and was inspired to teach others how to overcome their fear of water. For over a decade, she has shared her passion for swimming by working with swim clubs, teams and gyms to build a community with students. Her determination to help novice swimmers go from scared to fearless continues to gain national attention as she was recently profiled in PEOPLE Magazine and Sports Illustrated.
On July 22, Danielle Bryant Lamonier featured in Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women In Sports, as Sports Illustrated and Empower Onyx shine a spotlight on the diverse journeys of black women across sports—from veteran athletes to up-and-coming stars, coaches, leaders and more. The 100 Influential Black Women in Sports series aims to create an environment where black women can share their inspiring stories and impact on the communities they serve as a way to encourage and enlighten the next generation of leaders in sports and beyond. Learn more about Lamonier in the article titled ‘Paulana Lamonier Shatters the Stereotype That Black People Don’t Swim’ by Bryant.
Jeff Truesdell further amplified Lamonier’s influence in a recent feature in People Magazine titled ‘Coach Paulana Lamonier Wants More Black People to Learn to Swim: ‘We’re Here to Smash the Stereotypes’ (read more) on July 27.
