For Media Inquiries Contact:Aileen Dodd, 404-808-5428, aileen.dodd@morehouse.eduATLANTA, Dec. 1, 2016 –

Olympic Medalist Maritza Correia, the first black woman to set an American record in swimming, will visit Morehouse College today, Thursday, Dec. 1, to teach students to swim and give tips to a competitive league.Correia will meet with students from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Archer Hall Swimming Pool, 830 Westview Drive S.W., Atlanta. Her visit is being co-hosted by the Morehouse Department of Recreation and Fitness and the Atlanta University Center Tiger Sharks.Students pre-registered for the opportunity to take swimming lessons from the Olympian. Correia will also meet with competitive swimmers from the DeKalb Aquatics Swim Team.Correia began swimming at age seven as an unconventional therapy to correct a curvature of her spine. Swimming soon became her passion. She later won four state titles and a national championship as a student at Tampa Bay Technical High School.At the University of Georgia, Correia continued to dominate as a swimmer. But her growth wasn’t enough to help her to qualify for the 2000 U.S. Olympic team. She didn’t let the disappointment keep her from pushing forward, however. Correia became focused on securing a spot in the 2004 Olympics. She soon began a regimen that kept her in the water swimming 14,000 meters each day for six days each week.In 2002, Correia became the first African-American woman to set an American record in swimming in the 50-and-100-yard freestyle events at the Women’s NCAA Championships. Two years later, Correia achieved her Olympic dream. She became the first African-American woman to land a spot on the U.S. Olympic swim team. She won a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay at the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Source: Olympic Swimmer and Record Breaker To Visit Morehouse College ‹ Morehouse College News Center