BKS Partners with the Ironman Foundation

Black Kids Swim is participating in an initiative to break down racial barriers in triathlons. The nonprofit organization is proud to partner with the IRONMAN Foundation and their Race for Change initiative to create an Ironman relay team for Black and minority athletes to compete in the sport.

About the Race For Change

According to the IRONMAN Foundation, Black athletes represent less than 1% of Ironman athletes in the United States and Canada. The foundation’s mission is to create “positive, tangible change in race communities through grant funding and volunteerism.”

The IRONMAN Group partnered with the IRONMAN Foundation and their grant program, Rock This Town, to combat the disparity by creating the Race for Change initiative. The partnership made an initial pledge of $1 million to support access for Black athletes in the sport and increase participation within the next five years. 

“Through Race for Change, we are teaming up with diverse communities to collaborate on how to best remove participation barriers from our sport at the grassroots level in order to recognize, empower and sustain diverse competitor involvement long term,”
– Audra Tassone-Indeck, Executive Director of the Ironman Foundation.

The IRONMAN Races

The race will be a Half-Ironman relay, known as the Ironman 70.3, consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. Three upcoming races will also commemorate the event. Races include:

• The Sunbelt Bakery Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga presented by McKee, A Family Bakery triathlon in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on May 22, 2022
• The Maytag Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Michigan June 26, 2022.
• The St. Jude Ironman 70.3 Memphis, Tennessee Oct 1, 2022.

Relay Team Partners

Nonprofit organizations, Major Taylor Cycling and Black Runners Connection, are the cycling and running partners in the relay respectively.

Worcester, Massachusetts, residents formed the Major Taylor Association, Inc. to celebrate and memorialize athlete Major Taylor. Taylor became the first internationally recognized Black American professional cyclist after winning the 1-mile sprint event at the 1899 ICA Track Cycling World Championships. The organization hosts events and educates the masses to keep his legacy alive.

The Black Runners Connection seeks to increase Black representation in distance running and promote an overall healthy lifestyle. The organization builds community with distance runners and other like-minded individuals to connect on health and fitness, training, and coaching tips and opportunities.

Triathlon is a high endurance and highly competitive sport but for some the sport is viewed as exclusionary. According to recent studies from the Triathlon Industry Association, only about 2% of triathletes are Black, Asian, and minority ethnic, and the male-to-female ratio is 70-to-30.          

Black Kids Swim’s IRONMAN Swimmers

Black Kids Swim three swimmers are Marcus Fitts, Hollie Adejumo, and Darien Edwards.

Marcus Fitts

Marcus is a Washington, DC-based athletic coach and recreational endurance athlete. He is also the founder of the nonprofits District Triathlon and GRIT USA, an adult and high school endurance and multi-sport development program.

“I think the more people get involved in the sport, the more people will talk about it,” Fitts said about triathlon. “It’s going to bring more awareness to triathlon within the Black community, but outside of the Black community, it will be showcased and talked about.”

Read more about Marcus

• Race for Change Triathlete – Marcus Fitts
• Marcus Fitts Plans to Lead by Example in the IRONMAN Race For Change Relay

Hollie Adejumo

Hollie, a active triathlete, believes this relay and initiative will help promote triathlon to a broader audience.

“I’m excited to join Black Kids Swim and love to increase Black participation in competitive swimming,” Adejumo said. “I really love for Black kids and adults to see that it’s possible to swim. It’s fun. I’m so excited to be a part of the Race for Change.”

Adejumo is a Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan College of Engineering and has participated in several races. Some include  the 2021 Detroit Cycling Championships and Debaets-Devos Pro-Am Memorial Bicycle Race in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Read more about Hollie

• Race for Change Triathlete – Hollie Adejumo
• Inclusivity Matters: Engineering Student Hollie Adejumo Advocates for Representation in Triathlons

Darien Edwards

Darien, a United States Marine Corps veteran, says the race will be a great segue to increasing Black representation in swimming and triathlon. The endurance athlete holds personal bests in events such as the sprint triathlon at the 2021 Rev3 Williamsburg Triathlon in Virginia and the 70.3 triathlon at the 2022 CLASH Endurance in Miami.

“It shows that Black people can swim competitively,” Edwards said. “I know participation is three percent when it comes to competitive swimming for Black people, but for those of us who can swim, [it is good] just introducing the sport to more people.”

Read more about Darien

• Race for Change Triathlete – Darien Edwards
• Triathlete Darien Edwards Joins the IRONMAN Foundation’s Race For Change

How to Participate in the Race for Change

Black Kids Swim is excited about these triathletes joining the Race for Change Initiative. The organization is actively recruiting swimmers for the upcoming races. Please contact Black Kids Swim at info@blackkidsswim.com  if you are interested. You must be 18 years or older and be able to complete a 1.2-mile open water swim. REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED

We can’t wait to see our swimmers and triathletes compete!

Black Kids Swim provides a comfortable and inclusive atmosphere for Black swimmers to thrive in competitive swimming. Visit our website often to learn more about new opportunities.