Journalism award for black swimmers' story
Cynthia Ajayi is the only person in her local swimming pool who looks like her. That’s because she is Black.
A staggering 95% of Black British adults don’t swim, much to the dismay of Cynthia, who finds herself anxious and baffled by the anomaly.
So baffled in fact, the MA Journalism graduate decided to make a documentary on the subject, which has won her the Student Project of the Year from the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
The 35-year-old Londoner, who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but raised in Walthamstow, admits she was late to learn to swim herself, and felt compelled to explore the reasons why people of her community don’t enter the water young, or even ever!
“I came across a tweet by a radio presenter on the 95% and it really spoke to me as I only started swimming myself as an adult and wondered why this number was so high for people from my community.
“I felt that it was a subject that needed to be explored, to be talked about, to help demystify stereotypes and open the door for more people to see that they have a place in the water, even if it feels they don't.”
Through interviews with swimmers, non-swimmers, coaches, and experts, the graduate, who also completed a BA at LJMU in Drama and English, delved into the cultural, societal, and personal barriers that contribute to the underrepresentation of ethnic minority groups in the swimming world.
For the award-winning work, Cynthia opted for a ‘radio programme-style’, recording Zoom calls, face to face interviews and voice notes and even using a Go-Pro to capture the water sounds.
And it was another great win for LJMU Journalism whose lecturers attended the NCTJ award ceremony with her: “I was so happy, I couldn't stop smiling,” said Cynthia. “I really gave it my all and to be rewarded that way was wonderful and has really given me a confidence boost!”
Cynthia is currently working at Edge Hill University as a Communications Officer but is looking at many options for a future in broadcasting and media.
“I would love to continue making documentaries about subjects that concern people from the Black, Caribbean and Asian community,” she added.
-Journalists from LJMU Journalism also won the award in 2023 and won the NCTJ’s EDI award in 2024.
-You can check out Cynthia Ajayi's audio doc on YouTube and SoundCloud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kp7ADLhhNQ&t=3s
Main image: Cynthia with Head of Journalism Fran Yeoman, Polly Sharpe and Tom McCooey.
