In 1997, Charlie 'The Tuna' Chapman became the first African-American to complete the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, after having already become the first African-American to swim the English Channel. Hailing from San Francisco, he previously swam from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park using only the butterfly. Ten years later, he circled Alcatraz, again only swimming ‘fly.
A born-again Christian, Chapman thanked the Holy Spirit for guiding him. Chapman's circumnavigation of Manhattan came a year after Los Angeles Dodgers vice president commented that blacks weren't buoyant enough to succeed as swimmers (he was later fired for his remarks). Chapman countered that he was like "Jackie Robinson paving the way, except I'll be wearing a little bathing suit."
Perhaps Chapman is the Robinson of swimming, but it should be noted that the baseball player never downed seaweed drinks for energy, or once pushed off a whale in Atlantic City.