For the first time in his young swimming career, Adrell Mulgrew-Truitt won’t be competing for the Glacier Swim Club.
Rather, the 14-year-old Juneau swimmer will be representing the Western U.S. on a 16-member all-star team at 2018 Black History Invitational this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Washington D.C.
The meet, which has been held continuously since 1987, promotes diversity in swimming by inviting African-American and other minority youths from across the country to the event.
“There’s not a lot of black, African-American swimmers,” Mulgrew-Truitt said. “So it’s like — other people might not see it was a big deal, but to me, it’s a big deal.”
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation and the United Black Fund, Inc. partner every year to put on the event to give participants “a positive outlet for expression, exposure to strong competition, a forum to meet positive role models and the opportunity to visit the nation’s capital.”
Besides USA Swimming’s Western and Eastern U.S. all-star teams, up to 800 youth ranging from 5 to 18 years old will take part in the meet.
Mulgrew-Truitt’s two older sisters, Andyn and Son’a, and younger brother, Aaron, are also GSC members.
GSC head coach Scott Griffith said he tries to make the club as inclusive as possible by offering scholarships to keep costs down.
“I do feel like we have a pretty diverse (club),” Griffith said. “We probably don’t have a very high African-American membership, but we do have a lot of (Alaska) Natives and Asian swimmers probably relative to what Juneau’s community is.”
Mulgrew-Truitt’s mother, LoveAnn Truitt, said club swimming has been a positive force in the lives of her children. Truitt’s oldest daughter, Andyn, a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School, is already planning on swimming in college.
“GSC, it’s a family, there’s no doubt about it,” she said. “And swimming teaches them so much, I think that’s it. Andyn is a sprinter, she will train all year to shave off a tenth of a second. That’s a lot of persistence.”
Mulgrew-Truitt originally planned on swimming in this weekend’s Alaska Age Group Champs at the Dimond Park Aquatics Center. He wanted to improve his sprint times and win at least one relay.
A month ago though, Griffith encouraged Mulgrew-Truitt to apply to take part in the Washington D.C. meet. This is the first year Griffith has heard of the event. Just a few days after sending in his application, Mulgrew-Truitt got accepted on the team.
“To swim with some all-new people and have new coaches and be out of his comfort zone and make new friends and to share what we have here with people all over the nation … I think it’s going to be a great experience for him,” Griffith said.
In addition to swimming eight different events, Mulgrew-Truitt will hear from prominent African Americans in swimming.
Last year, Natalie Hinds, a 20-time All-American swimmer while at the University of Florida from 2012-2016, spoke to participants.
“I’m a little nervous but I think it’ll be a fun experience,” Mulgrew-Truitt said. “Not a lot of people get this opportunity.”
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
