Black Swimming History With Charlie Chapman
Black Swimming History With Charlie Chapman
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.Charles Chapman, Jr. was the first African-American to swim across the English Channel and is celebrated in the International Swimming Hall of Fame‘s Black Swimming History Exhibition.
The Exhibition tells of the aquatic history of sub-Sahara Africans who were considered for centuries the world’s greatest swimmers.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame tells of the story of enslaved African swimmers and divers who created enormous wealth by harvesting pearls and recovering sunken treasures in the water.
Charlie ‘The Tuna’ Chapman – an African-American pioneer in the open water swimming world – crossed the English Channel in 1981, completed the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 1988 and 1989 as well as a number of butterfly swims around Alcatraz Island in San Francisco.
His interview can be seen here.
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Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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