Sybil Smith - Only Boston University All American In School History

That Boston University only has one All American women’s swimmer in the school’s history?

As we continue to honor Black History Month we’d like to introduce you to Sybil Smith. Smith was the first Black female swimmer to be named a first-team Division I All-American in 1988, and the only All-American in Boston University women's swimming history. She went on to be an assistant coach for the Harvard University swim team where she coached our WILD Board President Kaari Reierson (who brought Smith to my attention!). Read her bio here. Although Smith was making history, things weren’t easy as a trailblazer. After a documentary came out on NBC called “Black Athletes: Fact and Fiction” she recalled how difficult being Black in a predominantly white sport is, “all too often I heard about the supposed physiological advantages black athletes had over whites. Some of my closest friends on the team had rationalized my accomplishments by saying, ‘You’re so lucky that you don’t have to work that hard,’ and, ‘[Swimming] is so natural for you.’ Their words hurt, but I transferred my pain into a personal mission”. As the Executive Director of the International Swimming Hall of Fame Minority Enrichment and Recruitment program in the early 90s, she promoted the benefits of swimming to minority youth and their families. Later in life, Smith earned her doctorate in Psychology and is now the Executive Director at the Sloane Stephens Foundation where she leads Tennis education and wellness programs “encouraging Black and Latinx students to graduate high school, be leaders, make healthy choices and dream big”. 

Has someone inspired you that you want to share with your teammates? Send Coach Alex an email - [email protected].