Sports radio host Candace Cooper, first black female swimmer at UNC-CH, reflects on her role as pioneer

Born and raised in Raleigh, Cooper was the first black woman to swim for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after graduating from Ravenscroft High School in 2008. She’s now one of the Triangle’s newest sports radio hosts.

“I truly think that business is booming for black women,” Cooper said. “But in reality, we’ve been this great, we’ve been amazing, and unfortunately we’ve been hidden. And now we’re going to let you know that you will recognize us. We are using the strengths of the many women who came before us.”

Cooper said the fact that she was a pioneer in 2008 is a testament to how much further sports like swimming have to go in terms of diversity.

“Being the first black girl to swim at Carolina — that’s sad,” she said. “But at the same time, I know I’m not the last, and I know there has been some since me.”

Cooper said it’s important for everyone to have role models who look like them. She said she’s had those role models in many areas, but not always in swimming.

“Growing up, I looked to people like Serena (Williams) who was a pioneer in her sport,” she said. “My idol is Maritza McClendon. She was a swimmer at Georgia who was the first African-American woman (swimmer) to win an Olympic medal.”

After a successful collegiate swimming and academic career, Cooper graduated in 2012 with a degree in African-American Studies and a minor in Spanish for the Professions.

After training and participating for the 2016 Olympic Trials, Cooper retired from swimming and earned a Master of Arts in Management from the Wake Forest University School of Business.

While she is still early in her career, Cooper’s impressive resume includes positions with the Carolina Hurricanes, the Attorney General’s Office, Duke University, the New Orleans Saints and the UNC School of Government.

Women of the Triangle

Cooper is now combining her love of sports and media to pursue a career in sports radio. She co-hosts Out of My League a weekly podcast on sports, pop culture and entertainment with Brenden Whitted on ESPN 99.9 The Fan and is a guest host on the Sports Shop with Reese and K-Mac on Buzz Sports Radio, which are both owned by WRAL’s parent company Capitol Broadcasting Company.

“Sports radio has kind of been my baby,” she said. “I enjoy talking to people and learning people’s stories.”

Cooper attributes her success in swimming and life to the people who have supported her and her Triangle roots.

“Where I am is from the strength of others lifting me up,” she said. “I’ve always had someone to look to or to speak to. When I was working at the Attorney General’s Office, I had black female lawyers who were trying to better me, talk to me, and pour into me.”

Cooper said while it’s important for children to see successful people in all fields that look like them, she doesn’t feel someone has to be a successful athlete or nationally recognized to be a role model.

“You don’t have to reach the pinnacle of your sport to be recognized,” she said. “There are so many women who are teaching girls how to swim or just teaching them to be strong leaders in their communities.”

Cooper recently joined the local chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority to continue developing strong female friendships and mentors to lean on.

"I was blessed with 32 new sisters, which is 32 new energies, and they are always feeding my soul,” she said.

Cooper said she feels one of the best ways to promote female success in all fields is with other women.

“There is space for all of us there,” she said. “At the end of the day, I want to better you.”

Cooper is inspired by Maria Taylor, a black female sports reporter for ESPN and her idea of “lifting as you climb.”

“As I’m going up, I would love to see someone right next to me or under me moving up as well,” Cooper said. “We need to recognize that there is so much room at the table for all of us, and I don’t have to dim my light to let you shine. We can all shine together.”