Olympic gold medalist and University of Florida Swimming & Diving Coach Anthony Nesty ’87 is one of the inaugural members of the Southeastern Conference’s new Council on Racial Equity and Social Justice. The council includes student-athletes, administrators, coaches and SEC staff.

An SEC announcement said the council was formed to “identify resources, outline strategies and assist with implementation of efforts that, when taken together, will promote racial equity and social justice while also fostering diversity, helping overcome racism and pursuing nondiscrimination in intercollegiate athletics.”

Nesty swam competitively for Bolles and represented his country, Suriname, in the 1988 Summer Olympics. He is the only Olympic medal winner from Suriname and was the second black athlete to win an individual Olympic medal in swimming. Netsy, who also swam for the University of Florida, was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an “Honor Swimmer” in 1998 and the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a “Gator Great” in 2002. He was a member of the Bolles swimming coaching staff before coaching for the University of Florida men’s swimming team.

"An important movement has been ignited around the equitable treatment of all underrepresented minorities, and the SEC is determined to be a leader in the pursuit of meaningful and lasting change," said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. "With the Council as our guide, we will develop an action agenda built on the foundation that all are created equal and ensure this truth echoes across our stadiums, our arenas, our campuses, our communities, our states and our nation."