DYK 2016 Olympic swimmer, Rikako Ikee has overcome Leukemia to qualify for her nation’s 2021 Olympic Trials? In her emotional short film (just over 5 minutes), The Center Lane: A Change Destiny Film, she encourages us to “think about what you can do to change your future. There’s no need to look back at all…think about how you want to live in this moment and how you’re going to make it count.” Click here to watch!

A week ago you received an email about the steps we are taking to grow into a more diverse, inclusive and equitable team through DEI initiatives. To start, we have updated our website with a DEI page (can be found in the main menu) that is currently home to Resources and News and Statements. As we continue to make progress and create initiatives, more will be added to this page. The resource list is chock full of great links that came directly from the Illinois Swimming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion...

When you make a mistake in a race we discuss what you can change for the next time through. Armed with the knowledge of how to better succeed, you try again and hope for the best. Well, even your coaches make mistakes and I’d like to tell you about one of mine (Coach Alex). Back in January I wrote up a post about a man with Down Syndrome who was the first to complete an IronMan race. I recently learned via REACH that when writing about people with disabilities it...

Dear WILD Families, We have always been proud of the positive and welcoming environment that WILD provides, and we are also committed to excellence through constant improvement. With this in mind, we are excited to share with you the steps we are taking to grow into a more diverse, inclusive and equitable team through DEI initiatives. Spearheaded by Coach Alex and Coach Jeff DeB, we’ll be sending out information about ways you (athletes and parents) can get involved to further strengthen our partnership with each other and build a stronger...

DYK Today is the first full day of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for the Islam faith? We found these articles to be enlightening about what Ramadan is and how athletes in particular handle fasting and prayer during some of the most demanding times in their athletic careers. To all of our families and athletes observing, Ramadan Mubarak! How Do Muslim Players Cope with Fasting Ahead of the World Cup? Being Muslim in the NBA What It’s Like to Fast for Ramadan While Competing in the NBA Playoffs The...

DYK That Wildcats also represent in a pool in Humboldt Park? That’s right, we aren’t the only Wildcats. Roberto Clemente Community Academy’s Boys Swim Team in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood made a splash after a 25 year hiatus. Next year, Head Coach Miriam Franchi plans to bring back the girls team which had its last season her senior year in 2010. Franchi told Block Club Chicago, “I want them to have somewhere they can call home, I want them to have somewhere that they can say, you know what, ‘I...

This past week’s violence against Asian women in Atlanta, Georgia (during Women’s History Month no less) was disturbing and full of hate. Unfortunately, incidences of violence and hatred towards Asian, Asian American and Pacific Island (AAPI) citizens is a part of American history dating back centuries and has risen drastically ever since we became aware of COVID-19. According to Stop Hate AAPI, 68% of hate incidents reported in 2020 were against women. The fear and pain that AAPI folks are experiencing was felt early on in 2020. Only two weeks...

This one’s for all the ladies out there, crushing it every day, pushing to new heights in our sport and so many others. You can do anything. Check out this short documentary about all the incredible things women have accomplished in sports and how they continue to work towards equality to make things better for younger athletes.

DYK Chicagoan and Olympic medalist hockey player, Kendall Coyne Schofield is fighting for gender pay equity in sports? She and her husband recently invested in the Chicago Red Stars. “As two professional athletes ourselves, we’ve had two very different experiences in the professional sports world,” Coyne Schofield told reporters. “Our involvement is beyond capital. It’s about bringing awareness to the disparity between men’s and women’s professional sports.” Check out this group of women, including Schofield that have made an impact on and off the field in their sport. We would...

Athletes often feel they can’t share their true selves with teammates, coaches and family members out of fear they will be judged differently. Take it from Professional 3x3 Basketball player, Marco Lehmann who recently came out to the public on January 15th. In his coming out story he said “It’s like in team sports, there are no gay men. Being gay in that setting is a taboo. People don’t talk about it and don’t stand behind it and this has to stop NOW. I had been switching personalities for so...