Johnson told NBC News that what drives her is inspiration, not gold medals or individual accolades. “The longer that you play a sport, the less it becomes about you,” Johnson said. “I remember when I was young on this national team and just starting to find my footing, I didn’t understand why it was important for me to be here. But I understand now. As a Black woman of Caribbean descent in this sport, 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. That’s really special and is a priority for me.”
Johnson continued, “It’s so cool to see how inspiring the sport can be,” Johnson said. “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. We’re all unique in some way, but we’re all so similar in other ways. And getting to have these experiences with the kids makes us all really strong.”
Her mother, Donna Johnson, is similarly less impressed with the medals her daughter has won, and is more impressed by the person her daughter has grown into, telling NBC News, “I didn’t even know what water polo was, I had these horrible nightmares and daymares of them falling into the pool and them all trying to save each other, but all drowning together. And for Ashleigh, I am very happy that playing the sport has helped her grow into someone who loves to inspire kids.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
