An Olympian For Life
Boca Resident AJ Barbar Trains For His Second Olympics
For swimmer Anthony (AJ) Barbar, being part of the Olympics in 2016 was a dream come true.
However, his swimming career is far from over and the Boca Raton resident will soon have another claim to fame: he’ll be part of the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The 28-year-old, who swims on the Lebanese national team (he became a dual Lebanese citizen in 2014), is busy training for his second Olympics.
“I’m doing pretty much anything I can to stay active,” he says. “Lifting weights, swimming, playing golf, basketball.”
Barbar speaks modestly of his 2016 Olympic performance in the 50-meter freestyle. “I did alright, not my best time,” he says. “But I was so pumped just to be swimming there.” He uses that performance as a learning lesson for his current training, saying “I’m just focusing more on the strength training. Being more explosive off the block and in the water.”
Being at the Olympics was life-changing. “I learned that even though I may not have won any medals, being able to represent your country at the biggest competition in the world is the absolute greatest honor,” he says. “It doesn’t matter your skill level or what country you represent, you are an Olympian for life.”
Barbar also swam at Oklahoma Baptist University and Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale.
Still, he never forgot his hometown. “Boca Raton has a special place in my heart and will always be home for me.”