Paralympian Jamal Hill’s mission: More medals and 1 million swimmers
BY LA Stories Staff Los Angeles
UPDATED 8:01 PM PT Jul. 28, 2025 PUBLISHED 5:00 AM PT Jul. 28, 2025
In a new episode of “LA Stories with Giselle Fernandez,” Paralympic swimmer Jamal Hill shares his journey from a childhood swim class in Inglewood to the world’s biggest athletic stage
With a mother determined to defy stereotypes, Hill was in the water before he could even walk — his Olympic dreams taking shape early.
“She didn’t even know how to swim,” he said. “What it took for her to say, ‘My son is… not going to be put in a box. He’s not going to be limited.'”
At age 10, those dreams nearly disappeared. Hill was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a progressive neurological disorder that left him temporarily paralyzed and forced him to relearn how to walk, write and move.
Hill hid his condition for years, pushing himself as a competitive swimmer until finally embracing the truth — and a new path.
“If I just show a little bit of courage, accept me for who I am, tell my truth — at least it lives another day,” he said.
Now a Paralympic medalist and motivational force, Hill has his sights set on the LA 2028 Games — and making a difference far beyond the pool. Through his Swim Uphill Foundation, he’s on a mission to teach 1 million people in underserved communities how to swim.
“If you continue to work on it every day and you keep that dream and that vision in your heart, it will get closer than it has ever been,” said Hill.