The We LEAD Summit has gone virtual for 2020, marking the fifth virtual We LEAD event that USA Swimming has hosted this year. The event will take place on Saturday, September 12 and will feature an exciting lineup of discussions for attendees, including an opportunity to learn from USA Swimming stars Nathan Adrian and Allison Schmitt.

The Olympic duo will take part in a Q&A session that will wrap up the summit, which is designed to teach leadership skills to 9th through 12th-grade students. Both Schmitt and Adrian have taken plenty of leadership roles on American rosters throughout their decorated careers, most recently being captains for Team USA at the 2019 FINA World Championships. The team captured 30 medals at the event, while Adrian and Schmitt combined for five.

While athletes get to hear insight from Schmitt and Adrian’s illustrious swimming careers, attendees will also be able to connect and learn with their peers. The discussion-based summit will also be facilitated by former University of Purdue Swim Coach, Cathy Wright-Eger, and Sport Psychologist, Roberta Kraus, who will provide knowledge on how swimmers can continue to grow as leaders.

“It is so important for our athletes to be empowered to take on leadership roles both in and out of swimming,” said Morgan Weinberg, Senior Manager of Education & Programs at USA Swimming. “This program allows athletes to find their true leadership voice and build their network with other swimmers across the country. Athletes can expect to leave feeling recharged, motivated and ready to face their next leadership challenge.”

The Virtual We LEAD summit is designed for high school students entering the 2020-2021 school year. Participation in the Virtual We LEAD Webinar will include:

• Celebrating each participants’ leadership actions that has helped them manage their life challenges and share lessons of experience from actions that has not helped them manage life challenges
• Participating in group learning discussions and virtual activities with their peers
• Learning resiliency techniques and tools they can use for themselves or teach others to be at your/their best under pressure
• Increasing one’s self-awareness of what effective stress management leadership behaviors look like going forward; End goal is to empower each swim team leader with a road map to help them be more intentional of how they choose to act and react when under stress or in their leadership position with others.