WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue swimmer Idris Muhammad has been selected as the Big Ten Conference's male representative to attend the annual NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, which is set for April 13-16 in Baltimore.
Muhammad is a sophomore from Atlanta, specializing in the freestyle sprints and backstroke. He is studying mechanical engineering at Purdue.
The 2023 Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is slated to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center and Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, both located adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards and near many of Downtown Baltimore's other premier attractions.
"I am really excited for this opportunity; I believe it will be beneficial for both me and my team," Muhammad said. "I can bring back some valuable lessons on leadership, building relationships and building connections that can help both in and out of the pool. I hope to gain a diverse perspective on leadership and teamwork, which I plan to use if I have a leadership position on the team in the future."
Muhammad moved into fourth place in Purdue history with a career-best time of 19.50 in the 50-yard freestyle at the Purdue Invitational. He's also 10th all-time in the 100 backstroke (47.73). As a key contributor to relays the last two seasons, Muhammad has helped the Boilermakers post the top-five times in team history in the 200 and 400 free relays as well as the 200 medley relay this season. The Georgia native has accounted for three impressive 50-yard splits on the 200 free relay at different points of the season – 19.36 at the Indiana Intercollegiates during the home-opening weekend, 19.04 at the Purdue Invite in November, and 19.29 at the Big Ten Triple Duals the final weekend of February.
With a January 2004 birthday, Muhammad will still eligible to race at USA Swimming's Junior Nationals this past summer. He enjoyed a strong showing while representing Atlanta's Dynamo Swim Club. He helped Dynamo set age group records in the 4x50 free and 4x50 medley relays while also winning gold in the 4x100 free relay.
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, created in 1997, has served as a life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes who have grown personally and professionally as a result of their attendance. Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, a refined understanding of the relationship among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and the support of a close personal network of like-minded peers to provide continued connection and dialogue after the program concludes. This best-in-class programming experience serves as a transformational opportunity for student-athletes and administrators to build a leadership toolkit and develop vital self-awareness that allows them to realize their potential.
"Purdue Athletics nominated Idris for this prestigious opportunity because of his unique leadership skills coupled with his desire to impact his team and the overall Purdue Community," said Paul Leaf, Purdue's assistant director of student-athlete development. "We are excited to watch him grow through this Leadership Forum with the NCAA."
"Swimming is often viewed as a very individual sport, but if you look at the NCAA's top swim teams, you will see the copious amounts of camaraderie, respect and team chemistry they have – all playing a large role in their success," Muhammad wrote in his statement of interest about the forum. "Often times, teams are led by an intuitive leader that is all-in and knows how to instill the core values into teammates to help foster success on all levels. I hope to be able to diversify my knowledge and aid our team's current leaders, because all great leaders have a strong supporting team behind them."
Muhammad is a sophomore from Atlanta, specializing in the freestyle sprints and backstroke. He is studying mechanical engineering at Purdue.
The 2023 Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is slated to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center and Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, both located adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards and near many of Downtown Baltimore's other premier attractions.
"I am really excited for this opportunity; I believe it will be beneficial for both me and my team," Muhammad said. "I can bring back some valuable lessons on leadership, building relationships and building connections that can help both in and out of the pool. I hope to gain a diverse perspective on leadership and teamwork, which I plan to use if I have a leadership position on the team in the future."
Muhammad moved into fourth place in Purdue history with a career-best time of 19.50 in the 50-yard freestyle at the Purdue Invitational. He's also 10th all-time in the 100 backstroke (47.73). As a key contributor to relays the last two seasons, Muhammad has helped the Boilermakers post the top-five times in team history in the 200 and 400 free relays as well as the 200 medley relay this season. The Georgia native has accounted for three impressive 50-yard splits on the 200 free relay at different points of the season – 19.36 at the Indiana Intercollegiates during the home-opening weekend, 19.04 at the Purdue Invite in November, and 19.29 at the Big Ten Triple Duals the final weekend of February.
With a January 2004 birthday, Muhammad will still eligible to race at USA Swimming's Junior Nationals this past summer. He enjoyed a strong showing while representing Atlanta's Dynamo Swim Club. He helped Dynamo set age group records in the 4x50 free and 4x50 medley relays while also winning gold in the 4x100 free relay.
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, created in 1997, has served as a life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student-athletes who have grown personally and professionally as a result of their attendance. Student-athletes selected to attend the forum return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, a refined understanding of the relationship among personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and the support of a close personal network of like-minded peers to provide continued connection and dialogue after the program concludes. This best-in-class programming experience serves as a transformational opportunity for student-athletes and administrators to build a leadership toolkit and develop vital self-awareness that allows them to realize their potential.
"Purdue Athletics nominated Idris for this prestigious opportunity because of his unique leadership skills coupled with his desire to impact his team and the overall Purdue Community," said Paul Leaf, Purdue's assistant director of student-athlete development. "We are excited to watch him grow through this Leadership Forum with the NCAA."
"Swimming is often viewed as a very individual sport, but if you look at the NCAA's top swim teams, you will see the copious amounts of camaraderie, respect and team chemistry they have – all playing a large role in their success," Muhammad wrote in his statement of interest about the forum. "Often times, teams are led by an intuitive leader that is all-in and knows how to instill the core values into teammates to help foster success on all levels. I hope to be able to diversify my knowledge and aid our team's current leaders, because all great leaders have a strong supporting team behind them."