One of Azariah Mamousette’s fondest memories is the moment when he first jumped into a swimming pool. “One day when I was younger, my mom was at work and my Dad and I were at home,” he said, “and after lunch we went to the Lee School in Dorchester, and we jumped in the water and right away I was so happy.”

Now, at age 10, Azariah is breaking records and turning heads wherever swimmers congregate. A standout on the Dorchester YMCA swim team, he finished in first place in last year’s Dolfin Elite Showcase Classic National Zones Competition in Florida. And over the past year, he has broken multiple New England YMCA records for his age group in both freestyle and backstroke.

Earlier this month, he was recognized for his accomplishments at a Boston City Council meeting. This coming weekend, along with three other members of his team, he will be competing in the national championships in Rochester, NY.

The person behind this talented team of Dorchester swimmers is head coach Jason Chung, who works for the Boston Fire Department and coaches swimming at the Dorchester Y as a hobby. In an interview, Chung noted the progress Azariah has made and recalled his first-ever swim meet. “We put him on the 50 free in Rhode Island, and he was crying, he thought he was gonna puke,” said Chung.

Despite his initial nervousness, Azariah has come to love the competition, winning regional races in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and New York.

Chung sees Azariah’s “natural freestyle kick” as one element in his growth, but in the end he chalks up the fifth-grader’s success to his attitude and his parents’ support. “He respects other teammates, and he is willing to learn and listen and always pay attention,” said the coach.

Chung, who Azariah’s father, Abednego, calls “family,” treats all of his swimmers the same, laying out the standards of respect and focus, and in turn getting the most out of his small group of kids. Among Azariah’s teammates is another record-breaking ten year old, David Sapozhnikov of Natick.

In addition to breaking records, Azariah is also bucking a troubling trend that puts African-American children at a far higher risk of drowning than their white counterparts. According to the Center for Disease Control, the drowning rate of African-American children between ages 5 and 14 is three times that of white children in the same age group.

The discrepancy is said to largely come down to opportunity: If kids don’t have regular access to a pool or a body of water, they’ll never get over that fear of swimming.

James Morton, president and CEO of YMCA of Greater Boston, described the Y’s Learn to Swim programs— where Azariah and other city kids have gotten their start— as key resources in the fight to reverse that trend.

“One of our goals is to make sure to provide swim lessons to as many children in greater Boston as we can,” said Morton. “With the increased number of drowning among black and brown children, that commitment becomes even more important.”

Neither of Azariah’s parents is a swimmer, but they say the Dorchester YMCA has made a life-changing impact on their son.

“We just happened to walk into a Y because we live in the area, and we were able to make this great connection with Coach Jason that has now kind of shaped the future of our family,” said Azariah’s mother, Sophia. “I think a lot of people can make that same connection.”


Morton agrees.

“Part of our strategy is to make sure all children can see themselves as swimmers,” he said. He recalled the 2016 Summer Olympics, when Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win gold in a swimming event. “For kids to be able to see that, it’s a big deal,” he said.

The success of the Dorchester YMCA swim team is already having an impact on the neighborhood, and according to the Mamousettes, that success has turned into a movement of sorts. Of Coach Chung’s four swimmers headed to nationals, three are African-American.

“Azariah one of best examples of what happens when people have opportunities,” said Morton, adding, “It’s as simple as having access to swimming pools and swimming lessons. That’s our responsibility – to provide those opportunities wherever we possibly can, and to generate the philanthropic support to make sure those lessons are free.”

Morton expects to see increased interest in swimming in the area, and he foresees long-term benefits, like college scholarships, from getting into the swim of things.

For his part, Azariah, who says swimming has helped provide structure to his homework schedule, is already thinking about majoring in mechanical engineering in college. However, swimming remains a big part of his future aspirations. “I want to make the Olympics,” he said with a sheepish grin.

If his early success in the pool is any indication, there may indeed be more medals in Azariah’s future.