Texas Swimmer Simone Manuel’s Historic Gold Medal Win

Big congratulations goes out to swimmer Simone Manuel who became the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming on Thursday and the first American to win gold in the 100 meter freestyle since 1984.

“I definitely think it raises some awareness and will get them inspired, “I mean, the gold medal wasn’t just for me. It was for people that came before me and inspired me to stay in the sport. For people who believe that they can’t do it, I hope I’m an inspiration to others to get out there and try swimming. You might be pretty good at it.” - Simone Manuel via The New York Times

Manuel, from Sugarland, Texas, tied for the gold with Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak while also shattering an Olympic record in an incredible comeback where she seemed to be behind until the final few meters when Manuel came on strong and was shocked herself when she reached the finish line. Social media exploded in celebration of the milestone as Manuel became a worldwide trending topic overnight.