Every two years, the world gets to see athletic greatness of the highest level thanks to the Summer or Winter Olympics as well as the Paralympics, which begin Aug. 28. Every event that is available to watch has at least one athlete who has overcome insurmountable odds to reach the peak of sports. One of those athletes is American swimmer Jamal Hill.
Hill will be competing in his second Paralympic Games. Swimming is something he was meant to do, and he is as familiar with being in the water as everyone else is out of it.
Hill grew up in Inglewood, CA, as the only child of his parents. He credited their wisdom for a lot of his positive upbringing.
Hill said, “I have a great sense of pride in who I am and appreciation for family, and willingness to listen more than speak. I am a man of God as well. That is what drives me to this day.”
His destiny appeared to be predetermined. He loved swimming, and the sport loved him back. His mother wanted him to learn to swim because she couldn’t, even as an athlete herself. The Mommy and Me classes evolved into regular swim lessons as he grew older. Eventually, he found himself on a local swim team, which he considered the next natural step.
“I really enjoyed that.”
Hill’s life changed one day in 2005 after a practice that appeared to be very normal. While playing with his father, Hill showed him that he could dislocate his own shoulder. He thought his father would be impressed, but concern was the result instead. They went to a doctor to have his shoulder evaluated, and Hill heard news that devastated him.
“They said that level of hypermobility is not healthy, and I had to quit swimming.”
He also had to keep his right arm in a sling for several months. Eventually, he no longer had to wear the sling. However, they would go back to the hospital during that year’s Thanksgiving dinner after he began experiencing numbness. It began in his arm but would reach his entire body.
“I ended up at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, and I had to stay for several weeks. I couldn’t sustain any neurological connection to the rest of my body.”
He was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a degenerative nerve disease that usually appears in childhood or early adulthood. Even though that was what was confirmed, his mother refused to allow the doctors to tell him when they first became aware.
“She told them, ‘I’m not going to let you come in here and kill my son’s confidence because someone who looked at a gene in a microscope wrote a book that would define his life.’”
Hill credited that decision for him becoming more resilient because he would return to the pool and move forward with his dream. He competed in college at the Division III level but moved on after his junior season to focus on turning professional and reaching the Olympics. He wouldn’t know about CMT specifically until years later while he was working with a coach training to qualify for the Olympics. After the coach noticed issues with his dives into the water and questioned him about it, his mother finally told him.
“That was what opened the doorway to me becoming more educated about the diagnosis so I could communicate about it to my coach,” Hill says.
HILL SHIFTS FOCUS AND WANTS TO DO MORE
Olympic dreams may have no longer been a reality, but his coach educated him about the Paralympics and felt he would excel there. It took some convincing, but he recalibrated and would compete in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, where he took bronze in the 50-meter freestyle, S9 classification. He reached his goal of competing on the international stage, but he knew he could do better and more. That is why he is now focused on gold in 2024 and reaching another massive goal.
“I want to help 1 million people learn how to swim,” he says.
To make that goal a reality, Hill created a non-profit organization called Swim Up Hill. According to its website, they provide innovative and culturally relevant swim instruction for low to middle-income people of color in the U.S. and abroad.
“Not knowing how to swim is an endemic that can be changed with instruction,” Hill explained. He has found a great partner to help him on his quest. Adaptive clothing brand befree has sponsored Hill’s athletic quest for gold, and they provide the outfits for the people that he serves. The clothing is designed to adaptive people can take them on and off easier. The brand also supported a children’s book sharing a story of how Hill helped a child learn to swim. Hill not only appreciates their commitment but quality.
“The outfits are similar to those that NBA players wore in the ’90s.”
NOW HILL GOES FOR GOLD
Even with that mission fresh on his mind, Hill is now locked in on the Paralympics and his opportunity to complete his journey with a gold medal while representing his country. He will begin his competitions on Sept. 2nd, and it can be seen on one of the NBC networks. This is something that Hill has strived for and overcome many obstacles to reach, and he isn’t going just to have a good time. He has his sights set and is confident that he will return to the United States as a champion.
“Very much looking forward to what is on the horizon,” he said with a combination of excitement and intent. “I can win.” To learn more about Swim Up Hill, go to www.swimuphill.org and follow @swimuphilldotorg on Instagram. You can also follow Hill @swimuphill.
3 TIPS FOR FUTURE COMPETITIVE SWIMMERS
Hill’s purpose is to help as many people learn to swim as possible. If you are new to swimming, he shared three tips that can help you or your loved one can adapt quicker so you can enjoy your experience in the water.
Stick Your Face in a Bowl of Water
“Use a bowl that is just big enough that the face can fit in and fill it with water. Many people that don’t know how to swim can reserve high levels of trauma when it comes to submersing their face. This is the most basic instrument and skill because your face doesn’t take up the whole ocean.”
Proper Breathing Technique
“Breathe into the mouth and out of the nose. That is what we preach and practice.”
Get with the Right Coach
“Make sure it is the right fit as well, especially when dealing with younger athletes. That coach should be able to provide a technical foundation.”