Swimmer Blair Wootson
Oct 12, 2022
Swimmer Blair Wootson of SwimSwam News
Meet Blair Wootson — the unstoppable age-group swimmer making waves in the aquatic world. From a young age, Blair's passion for swimming led him to found Swim 50 for Change, a charity initiative using swimming to drive positive social impact. A talented athlete and Speedo ambassador, Blair combines his love for the sport with a drive to make a difference. As a SwimSwam news reporter, he shares captivating interviews with fellow swimmers and provides an inside look at the daily lives of competitive athletes.
Whether at the pool or in the classroom, the Florida native strives to make a difference wherever he goes. From working toward his Olympic dreams to his advocacy work, Blair's presence in the swimming world has been hard to miss. "My goal is to make it to the 2028 LA Olympic Trials, then the Olympics," he says. At just 12 years old, he set records in the boys 100 and 500-yard freestyles and 50-yard butterfly.
Representation has always mattered to Blair, who entered competitive swimming as a toddler. His role models include Jamal Hill, Cullen Jones, Lia Neal, and Caroline Burckle.
His hard work has produced milestone results: Blair became the first African American male to win a gold medal for his team, the Panama City Swim Team Tsunamis. He placed in the top five in the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyle, 200 IM, and 100-yard butterfly at the 2019 Southeastern Swimming Long Course Championships in Huntsville, AL. He has earned 15 gold medals and medallions from regional competitions and two silver medals in short-course events.
Blair also channels that same drive into his advocacy work with Swim 50 for Change. He created the campaign during the protests against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
"When I heard about the George Floyd incident, I, as a young kid, said: 'Hey, this isn't right. I want to do something,'" Blair explained.
With swimming as the centerpiece, he challenged swimmers to swim 50 yards or meters and reflect on ways to benefit society in the process — a simple, powerful way to bring people together while advocating for change. Well-known swimmers and industry figures including Cullen Jones, David Curtiss, Ashleigh Johnson, and Fares Ksebati (CEO of MySwimPro) have all participated.
"I'm using Swim 50 for Change as a way to represent my community because I enjoy being who I am, and I enjoy representing the Black community," Blair said.
Blair's father, Cornelius Wootson — who taught Blair to swim at 13 months and went on to become an aquatics director — is one of the main driving forces behind his trajectory. "We live in the moment when he wins things, but we try to keep our eyes down the road," Cornelius said.
Blair now swims with the National team for the Sarasota Sharks and is still trying to make a difference in the world, one 50 at a time.
Blair uses the Outex waterproof phone case to document his underwater world — from stroke analysis to poolside reporting and beach content creation.