Staff Spotlight

Meet Michael Collier


	Michael Collier, facility director at Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool, is no stranger to the water.

A native of Sierra Leone, West Africa, Michael has many facets to his life and his journey to America. “I was born, raised, and educated in Sierra Leone. I attended Catholic schools and graduated from Fourah Bay College/University of Sierra Leone, a university built by Europeans. My father died when I was young and I wasn’t sure how I would afford an education, but in my sophomore year I received a scholarship that helped a lot. The college I attended is commonly referred to as the Athens of West Africa,” says Michael.

“My journey to America was pretty quick. I graduated from college on a Saturday and on Sunday I was on a plane to Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the 1996 Sierra Leone Olympic team. My country’s contingent of athletes included swimmers, boxers, ping pong players, and more. I was on the men’s swim team and my specialty was breast stroke. I strained my hamstring just before my race, but I swam anyway and made the best of it,” says Michael.

You would think that this would be the highlight of Michael’s trip to the U.S., but it was just the beginning. In the short time Michael left his country to compete in the Olympics he found himself in a peculiar situation. “I found myself having to stay here because there was such political instability in Sierra Leone that my family told me to stay here. There was a government uprising and takeover and I’ve been here ever since. I had to apply for a work permit and petition the United States government to become a United States citizen. After working through paperwork for two years with the immigration agency, I became a citizen in 2001. I met my wife here at a church, and my sister, who is a nurse, immigrated to the U.S. this year with her son,” says Michael.

“My job duties as a facility manager touch every aspect of operating a pool, from hiring staff to teaching life guard classes, office work, and making sure the pool chemistry is balanced,” says Michael. The chemistry was easy for Michael as he took several chemistry classes while in school. Before moving to Rollingcrest, Michael was the facility manager at M-NCPPC’s Allentown Aquatic and Fitness Center in Fort Washington. “Coming to a splash pool was different and was an education in itself, as I had to learn about running a water park vs. a competitive pool.”

Michael’s interests/hobbies outside of work still include physical activities. Michael is a serious bicycle rider, often taking rides up to 50 miles. His hi-tech bike serves him well as he rides along at a quick clip on trails all over the metropolitan area. “Ideal weather for me to ride in is anywhere from 40 to75 degrees. I still swim for recreation doing an average of 1,500 yards per swim, and that is about 25% of what we had to do as part of the Olympic team. I run on the trails with my dog Bronco, who runs me into the ground,” says Michael.

After the Olympics, Michael was going to return to Sierra Leone to become a teacher. He did keep part of that goal alive as he is now an adjunct professor at the College of Southern Maryland where he teaches geography and sociology part time.

Michael says he loves to mentor and guide young people, and gets that opportunity as a facility manager and teacher at college. If you ever go to Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool and see a lifeguard instructor who is having fun teaching CPR and lifeguarding techniques to young people, that is Michael!