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  March 6, 2018 7:32 PM PST

  The next time a friend, family member or random stranger tells me,?black?people dont swim,?I will happily and defiantly say Simone Manuels name and shut down any and all rebuttals. Byron Jones Stitched Jersey .And the next time my brilliant and boundlessly energetic 6-year-old daughter, Zoe, asks me to take her to the pool, I will think of Manuel and smile as I imagine a future where my child could grow up and be just like the 20-year-old powerhouse.???I used to say?Zoe would be the Serena Williams of the swimming world. Now I can say?that?my Zoe will be the next Simone Manuel.?Our little one has been taking swimming lessons since the age of 3,?not long after I noticed how much she loved splashing around at pool parties and the like. She has always adored bath time, but this was something more, something special.?This is not the relationship I had with water sports as a kid. There werent an ample amount of public or private pools in my native Detroit. Couple that deficiency with the fact that an 8-year-old classmate had drowned in a pool accident and I cant say that I was exactly seeking out time in the water aside from the fire hydrant on our street or the occasional kiddie pool.?My viewpoint changed in my?20s?when I decided to take adult swim classes and overcome my fear. Ive been swimming ever since and can now count snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef for my 30th?birthday as one of the most amazing things Ive ever experienced. It also made me that much more determined to make sure my child knew how to swim. I desperately wanted her to have a sense of fearlessness in the water that I didnt have at her age.?These are the thoughts that filled my?heart and mind as I watched Manuel, a?Stanford University junior,?make history and go on to become a two-time gold and two-time silver medalist in Rio. As the first African-American?woman to win an individual gold in swimming, shes the promise of broken barriers, defied stereotypes and expedited dreams.?Manuel is an Olympic champion who looks like?me, my daughter, my nieces and?my friends. Even though there is no way in the world I will ever reach the championship heights the Texas native has in the pool,?my daughter might. In the meantime,?I can take relaxing swims and bask in the knowledge that these cool blue waters, they?welcome us all.More on Simone Manuel? Essay: Manuel inspired me to learn to swim Story ?? Manuel on life after the Olympics ?Story ?The IMPACT25 is espnWs annual list of the 25 athletes and influencers who have made the greatest difference for women in sports. Explore the 2016 list and more content at espnW.com/IMPACT25. Deion Sanders Stitched Jersey. At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Ezekiel Elliott Stitched Jersey .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. http://www.officialcowboysnflauthenticshop.com/brice-butler-stitched-jersey/ . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Never did Karch Kiraly expect the womens volleyball Group B winner to go unblemished.He probably had little idea captain Christa Dietzen would be the one to deliver during the latest impressive U.S. victory, either.Dietzen made the final kill of the third set and provided a big lift off the bench, helping the top-ranked Americans (5-0) put themselves in prime position in this Olympic tournament. They responded from a one-set deficit to beat China 22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-19 on Sunday, and now will face Japan in the Rio de Janeiro Games quarterfinals Tuesday at Maracanazinho arena. China must face two-time defending champion Brazil (5-0), which swept Russia in Sundays late match and is yet to drop a set.All along, Dietzen has accepted her role in Rio -- limited or otherwise, like Sunday.I love whatever role Im given, I think its great to come off the bench, to be a starter, said the 29-year-old Dietzen, who has been working closely with team high-performance psychologist Michael Gervais during this trip. Its important for athletes to develop their ability to be their best from any position. When the team needs me, Im ready to go in.Dietzen, nicknamed Mom by her teammates for all her care and used sparingly so far in Brazil, delivered. Her teammates couldnt have been more proud to see it.This team has just so much trust in her as our captain, and with the experience that she has shes a real stabilizing influence, Kiraly said.They joke shes a caged lion, too.We call her mom, and shes more of a mom to me than anybody on the team, Kelsey Robinson said. She has been someone who has taken me under the wing since my first year. Wed go to lunch, shed take me to dinner. ... I love the way she plays, I love the way she fights. For her to be such aa great teammate in the role shes been asked to do and get her shot tonight, Im so proud of her. Roger Staubach Stitched Jersey. China coach Jenny Lang Ping, who once coached the Americans, and Kiraly are both looking to become the first to win volleyball gold as a player and coach.Kiraly certainly isnt getting ahead of himself. Sure, the U.S. took a nice step forward to the goal of reaching the top of the medal podium for the programs first gold ever.The Americans, silver medalists the past two Olympics behind Brazil, dropped five sets in all.Im more surprised that somebody went undefeated than they didnt, Kiraly said. We got pushed a lot, and that was all good for us.This marked the 11th meeting between the countries since the U.S. beat China for the 2014 world championship title. The Americans have won eight of 12 meetings since then. After a June 12 loss in China, the Americans bounced back with victories on June 26 in Hong Kong and July 8 in Bangkok.On Sunday, Dietzen did the very thing veteran players do when called upon: She had herself ready for the moment when needed.Its very important for her to help their team when shes a substitute for the younger players, and the younger players are probably more calm to play, Ping said. Shes a great blocker, too. Every time, she gives our attack lots of trouble.Earlier, Italy captain Antonella Del Core said a tearful Olympic goodbye.She thanked everyone in the crowd over the public address system after her final match with the team and a straight-set win against Puerto Rico. Her Italian teammates threw her in the air again and again, and had written on their arms, Grazie Cap (hashtag)15 with a heart. ' ' '