In recognition of the strength, beauty, and pride of black women who lead, My Black Is Beautiful celebrates Aja Evans. When it comes to greatness in sports, Aja Evans has black excellence encoded in her DNA. Her father, Fred Evans was the first black national collegiate champion in swimming when he competed for Chicago State. Her brother, Frederick H. Evans, played as a defensive tackle in the NFL. Her uncle, Gary Matthews, is the former hitting coach of the Chicago Cubs, and her cousin is the former major league baseball outfielder, Gary Matthews Jr.

With that kind of family legacy, it’s no wonder that Aja has racked up her own catalog of athletic achievements. “My drive comes from my family,” she said in an interview with NBC Chicago. “From my niece to my mom and my brother…they’re looking at me, cheering me on and wanting me to succeed,” said Evans. “It continues to drive me further and further.”

Legacy aside, Aja is carving out a name and lane all her own. The Chicago native was the star of the Morgan Park High School track team before going on to excel at the University of Illinois. After switching focus from track to bobsled, Evans scored a coveted spot on The U.S. Olympic Team, winning a bronze medal in 2014. “Being in Sochi and representing my country and my city was the best feeling of my life,” she said.

As she looks forward to making her second round on the Olympic Winter Games Bobsled Team, Evans is not chasing the win for the sake of winning. She hopes to inspire other little black girls who look like her. “Showing people that this black girl from Chicago came to The Winter Olympic sport and really did some amazing things, and it was all because I had that will to win and it was my dream,” Evans said. “I think showing people firsthand that if you put your mind to it, you can really go for it.”

While breaking barriers, Evans schooled the world on an important message about body image. Evans, who can lift weights up to 365 pounds and can repeat flips of a 400-pound tire, embraces her strength as beauty — showing the world that #BlackGirlsDo have muscles, curves, and physical strength and that a strong body is undeniably a beautiful one. Don’t we know it!

Come through, Aja. We will be rooting for you and all your glorious #BlackGirlMagic in 2018!

Presented by P&G and My Black is Beautiful