Paris 2024 Olympics: Ashleigh Johnson on the inspiration of her teammates and her message to girls of colour: "We belong" in the pool
It's been since 2008 that a team other than the U.S. has captured gold in women's water polo.
American goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson says that's due to an unwavering commitment to excellence.
"The greatest source of inspiration for me has 100 percent been my teammates," Johnson told Olympics.com in a recent exclusive interview.
"This is my third Olympic cycle, and I've done it all alongside Maggie [Steffens] and a few of my other teammates - Kaleigh Gilchrist, Rachel Fattal and Maddie Musselman. Seeing how much these women have evolved has been incredible and so inspirational. And it just gives me a lot of hope about the power of sport and the power of committing to something that's way bigger than yourself."
Being bigger than herself is something Johnson, 29, has never shied away from: She was the first Black woman to compete for the U.S. when she suited up for Rio 2016, and her impact beyond the pool is something she takes pride in.
She is driven by the excellence around her, she said, as Team USA goes for a fourth consecutive gold beginning on 27 July.
"The fact that we all have purpose that's outside of just us" is inspiring, she said, adding: "I've gotten that from my teammates and I hope that I've given it to them as well."
Ashleigh Johnson: On inclusion and the power of female sport
"I'm here to tell you that you do belong here," Johnson said in an emotional message to you girls of colour.
Access to pools and water sports has a torrid past in the U.S. that dates back to the nation's history in segragation. Johnson remains the lone Black woman on the U.S. squad, while Max Irving has taken that torch for the American men.
"On social media, people have definitely reached out to me to let me know that my presence in my sport has inspired them to do more... beyond water polo and sport, which is incredible to me," she said.
In 2024, Johnson said she's taken inspiration from a banner year already for women's sport, including NCAA basketball and the WNBA, both being avenues where Black athletes have excelled.
She believes that the momentum created by any female sport can have a lasting impact for all female sports.
"Seeing the limits of women's sports getting pushed further and further, I think that that trickles down to small sports like water polo and shows there's nothing that's impossible and that we are just getting started," she said, continuing: "The hard work that the women who have paved the way for us is starting to pay off. And we've got to keep pushing, we've got to keep inspiring. We've got to keep like rolling forward and take this momentum."
'Follow me. We're going to do this.'
The U.S. remains favoured to win gold in water polo, having captured the world title earlier this year in Doha. But just prior to Paris 2024 they were defeated by one of their chief rivals, Hungary, in a friendly encounter.
The U.S. has been drawn in Group B of the round-robin portion of the water polo, joined by France, Italy, Greece and Spain. Hungary anchors Group A.
"I'm most excited for my team to just showcase the hard work that we've put into this quad," Johnson said. "I think that we've had a lot of growth in this four year cycle. This is a new team; we personally haven't won gold yet.
"So, I hope that we get there," she added. "That's our biggest goal. I'm just excited for the opportunity to showcase this team and strive for the best."
Johnson continues to be a leader for the U.S. in the pool - as well as for young girls who look up to her all over the world.
"I know that you're entering spaces that you haven't seen yourself in before; maybe you feel like you might not belong. Maybe someone has told you you don't belong," she said.
"We belong here. And we are going to be great here. There's space for us to have. Space for you and follow me. We're going to do this."