UA swimmer earns $10k in SEC Startup Competition

Photos and videos of Sydney Blackhurst teaching are available for download.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Sydney Blackhurst, a senior accounting major on The University of Alabama's swimming and diving team, earned first place in the SEC Startup Competition. The prize comes with $10,000 to help grow her business, Beyond Barriers Swim Foundation, which offers one-on-one adaptive swim lessons for children with chronic illnesses or disabilities.

Blackhurst beat out four other finalists - student-athletes from the University of Arkansas, LSU and the University of South Carolina - to take first place.

The why behind Beyond Barriers

Blackhurst and a team of volunteers created a safe space to teach students about water safety, mobility, sensory improvement and motor skill development. They also build social skills and confidence in and out of the water

But it's even more than that.

A lifelong swimmer, Blackhurst suffered from severe chronic illness in high school and believed she would never get to swim, go to school or have a normal life. Getting back in the water changed her life.

"My family kept pushing for answers and things to try when I wanted to give up," said Blackhurst. "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."

Through hospital stays and doctor visits, she saw what other parents with children with illnesses and disabilities were facing. It moved her to find a way to help.

"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."

Multilevel impact

Blackhurst plans to put the $10,000 toward a streamlined online system where donors, volunteers and parents can find everything in one place to boost their presence and grow the foundation.

"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 has sites in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Athens, Georgia; Tucson, Arizona and coming soon to Jacksonville, Florida.

Dive deeper into the Beyond Barriers Swim Foundation and see who and how they serve on the foundation's website.

About the SEC Startup Competition

SEC Startup is a pitch competition where SEC student-athletes present their business ideas and plans to a panel of judges during a televised program in partnership with Regions Bank. Meet this year's other finalists and learn more about the competition on the SEC Startup website.