10 Things You Didn’t Know about Cullen Jones

Cullen Jones

Cullen Jones is a man the world has come to know with familiarity. He’s an Olympic gold medalist in the swimming department, and he’s quite good at what he does. In 2008, he brought home a gold medal in the Olympic games, and he brought home two silver medals in 2012. As the 2016 games approach, we are certain that he will bring home even more glory for not only the United States, but also for himself. He’s a man of many talents, a man of private nature and a man who knows what he wants, how to get it and how to achieve his goals. That said, we know everything there is to know about his swimming achievements, but we know very little about Cullen Jones as a man. Who is he? What has he done with his life? Who is the private man behind the champion?

He nearly drowned as a child

He was only five when his family went for a fun day at the Dorney Park Amusement park in Pennsylvania. After going down one of the slides he thought looked awesome, he was flipped upside down and nearly drowned during the ride. He was pulled from the water and had to be resuscitated to save his life.

He began swim lessons to save his life

Since his parents were not very comfortable in the water, either, Cullen Jones’ mom and dad decided that after he nearly drowned he needed to go to swimming lessons. They were not about to risk losing their son to something that could be so easily prevented by merely taking the time to get him to and from lessons, and that’s when he learned to develop his love of competitive swimming. He was a natural in the water.

He wants to help kids learn to swim

Since almost drowning as a child, Cullen Jones has made it his life’s mission to help kids learn to swim. He is very involved in a number of programs and charities that work with families and children to teach them how to swim, how to function and how to make the most of their time in the water. Since becoming involved in this aspect of his life, he’s helped nearly 3 million children learn to swim so that they are far safer in the water.

He’s a New York City Boy

Born and raised in the Bronx in New York, Cullen Jones is a city boy all the way. Most of the people born and raised here are, and there is nothing wrong with that. He is someone who really did enjoy his childhood and what it taught him living in the city. He’s comfortable there, and he finds that he’s comfortable most anywhere having grown up in New York understanding what life is like in the city with those who live there for long periods of time.

He moved south

Sometimes you have to go outside your comfort zone to do what you want to do most in life. This New York City boy decided that for college he wanted to go south. North Carolina is pretty much as different from the Bronx as anything in life, but that did not stop him from making it a point to attend North Carolina State University, where he was a swimming and diving team member. He was good then, but he grew to become stellar as the years wore on.

Nike was his first client

When he was only 22-years-old, Cullen Jones was approached by Nike to sponsor him in his career. He’d already broken numerous records in the pool, and the sports company knew that he was a profitable business venture. The two partnered in 2006 and that’s when Cullen Jones decided it was time to take his love of swimming to a professional level, something he has not regretted at all.

He’s more than just a record holder

We already know that Cullen Jones holds world records in just about anything swimming related, and it’s going to take a month or two to list all his records and accomplishments. However, did you know that he also holds another swimming record across the globe? He’s the first and African-American swimmer to even hold a world record in the pool.

He works hard

If there is one thing that people might not know about Cullen Jones, it’s that he does not take swimming lightly. Yes, he loves it, and it is fun for him. However, he is not someone who considers himself naturally talented or good at what he does in the pool. Instead, he considers himself someone who simply works very hard to become good at it and stay good at it. He does not think that he has a natural talent or ability, just that he has the drive and determination to work hard to achieve his goals in the pool.

He was swimming on a team before he was 8

We already know his parents signed him up to become a swimming student when he nearly drowned at age five, but did you know that he took right to it? He went through three swim teachers in the first three years of his swimming lessons, and that’s when he made the decision to join a competitive swim team at the age of 8. He thought he might be pretty good at it, and that he would be able to really see himself grow in the water and as a swimmer. He’s happy he made that decision for himself.

Nothing shakes him up like hearing about kids drowning

He doesn’t really remember much about his own incident, but he does know that it’s so preventable. When Cullen Jones hears of a child drowning, it affects him deeply and makes him want to work that much harder to save lives and teach more kids to swim. He’s got a mission in life, and he wants to make the water safer for all kids though he can only do it one at a time.

Photo by Getty Images

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