In a battle for the bronze medal on Saturday, Team USA Water Polo played a tight game versus the Netherlands. Team USA had a 10-7 lead with about four minutes left, but the Netherlands rallied to make it 10-10 with nine seconds to go. The Netherlands’ Sabrina van der Sloot netted the final goal of the game, putting the Dutch ahead 11-10 with one second to go.
Unfortunately, Team USA’s final heave across the pool fell short, putting the two-time defending Olympic gold medalists at fourth place at the Games. Despite the unexpected Olympic ending for Team USA, their impact extends far beyond the pool of the Paris Olympics, especially for goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson.
Journey to the Top In a predominantly white sport, Johnson broke barriers when she became the first Black woman to be on the women’s Olympic water polo team in 2016. Since then, Johnson has elevated herself to one of the best goalkeepers in the world. In her second Olympic games in Tokyo, Johnson was named Top Goalkeeper while propelling Team USA to their second straight gold medal.
For all of Johnson’s accomplishments, she acknowledges the struggles she faced growing up as a young Black girl playing water polo. “I got questions from other kids in the sport, parents, and even strangers, asking questions like, ‘Can Black people float?’ or ‘Black people don’t swim, how come you know how?” Johnson said in a recent interview with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Questions like this and other ignorant comments towards Johnson led to her questioning if she belonged in the sport. Thankfully, Johnson’s love for water polo triumphed over any backlash she received.
“You keep being you. Your difference makes you great. Your uniqueness is an add, and it takes all types.”
Becoming a Role Model
Motivated by her experience growing up in the sport, Johnson understands the unique opportunity she has to be a role model for young Black water polo players. “I definitely feel a special obligation to be a light for little Black and brown girls — and boys — who may be interested in swimming and water polo,” she told NBCSports. “That’s really special and is a priority for me.”
Johnson has certainly shed light on water polo by being an example of VISibility – by simply being on the team, young girls, in particular young Black girls, get to see her and know that they can be like her one day. She has also done more than just trailblaze for more diversity in water polo: She also directly gives back to underserved communities. Johnson hosts clinics in her hometown of Miami with her sister, Chelsea, whenever she has time away from training. In the clinics, she is able to connect with kids who want to be just like her. “These kids sometimes share their experiences, their struggles, and the chances are I’ve been through something like they have been and [I’m] able to give them some words of encouragement,” Johnson said.
Advocating for Diversity
No change will be made in water polo at the Olympic level if Black girls do not start playing the sport from a young age. And Johnson understands this sentiment. “There are still those barriers that have not gone away. Having a kind of role modeling is huge, like getting that equal representation, changing the narrative about who belongs here and who doesn't,” she said. “That's progress that we still need to make and hopefully will be made in the future.”
For the young girls who don’t feel like they belong and do not want to play water polo, Johnson has encouragement for them: “You keep being you. Your difference makes you great. Your uniqueness is an add, and it takes all types."
Johnson shows us that differences certainly create strengths, and added diversity expands opportunity. She is a trailblazer whose legacy will last long beyond her time as a goalkeeper. Her story reminds us to never let our differences hold us back and to always relentlessly pursue our dreams.
