UA Swimmer Earns Top Prize At SEC Startup Competition

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A University of Alabama swimmer and entrepreneur is taking home $10,000 after winning the Southeastern Conference's annual Startup Competition.

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UA announced Tuesday that Sydney Blackhurst, a senior accounting major and member of Alabama's swimming and diving team, earned first place in the SEC Startup Competition for her Beyond Barriers Swim Foundation, which provides one-on-one adaptive swim lessons for children with chronic illnesses or disabilities.

Blackhurst bested four other finalists representing the University of Arkansas, LSU and the University of South Carolina to claim the competition's top prize.

Founded by Blackhurst and a team of volunteers, Beyond Barriers Swim Foundation offers individualized instruction focused on water safety, mobility, sensory improvement and motor skill development while also helping participants build confidence and social skills.

The mission is deeply personal for Blackhurst, who developed a severe chronic illness while in high school and feared she would never swim, attend school or live a normal life again.

"My family kept pushing for answers and things to try when I wanted to give up," Blackhurst said. "I'm grateful for that because I got to where I could swim again and I didn't want to keep that victory for myself."

During hospital stays and medical appointments, Blackhurst said she witnessed firsthand the challenges families of children with illnesses and disabilities faced, inspiring her to launch the foundation.

"Being around different kinds of kids and also knowing the therapy aspects of swimming is really where Beyond Barriers comes in," she said. "Swimming has always had a place in my heart and I believe everyone should be able to get in the water."

Blackhurst said the $10,000 prize will be used to create a centralized online platform where donors, volunteers and families can access information.

"I hope to expand our network of donors so we can help more kids," she said. "The more funding we have, the more ways we can reach students. And we are currently working on adding a new location."

Beyond Barriers Swim Foundation currently serves families in Tuscaloosa; Athens, Georgia; and Tucson, Arizona, with a fourth location planned for Jacksonville, Florida.

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