Rio Olympics: A dream come true for Scarborough's Javier Acevedo
This story was first published on July 29.
Javier Acevedo's parents, Catherine and Aroldo, came to Canada with "almost nothing" and now their son is representing this country at his first Olympic games.
It's a dream come true for the 18-year-old swimmer from Scarborough who heads to Rio de Janeiro Friday with the 27-member Canadian swim team.
The first task upon arriving? "A selfie," he told CBC Metro Morning's Matt Galloway.
The son of Chilean and Nicaraguan immigrants, Acevedo says becoming an Olympic swimmer is not just an accomplishment for him, but for his entire family in Canada.
"I think they're super proud of me, and I've exceeded their expectations."
Acevedo was the first man to qualify for the Canadian swim team at the Olympic trials held in April, where he set a new Canadian record for the 100-metre backstroke with a time of 53.67 seconds.
Knowing that race was his one and only shot at the games is what propelled him to the wall in the homestretch, he says.
"I thought to myself - if you want to make this team, you have to put everything into this last 50[metres], or it's over," he remembers.
After he clinched the win in Scarborough's Pan Am pool, just five minutes from his parents' home, Acevedo says he looked up in the stands to see his family in tears with the realization he'd just secured a spot on the Olympic team.
"They've seen me go through the hard training, and turn from a mediocre swimmer into an Olympic swimmer. It was just a crazy moment."
In Rio, he will compete again in the 100 backstroke, as well as the 4x100 medley relay.
A veteran of junior championships, Rio is first crack at senior competition
A competitive swimmer since childhood, Acevedo's mother Catherine first introduced him to the pool where he fell in love with the water.
Soon, the Olympic dream took hold as Acevedo watched athletes compete at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games.
Mark Tewksbury's gold medal performance at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in the 100 backstroke also inspires the young swimmer.
"He was a 100 backstroker gold medalist and I want to live that dream as well."
A recent graduate of Toronto's Neil McNeil high school, Acevedo admits it hasn't always been easy to balance swimming, school and the life of a teenager. Days begin with a 4:30 wake-up and an early swim at Markham's Pan Am pool, and end with late nights of homework. He usually skips the parties his friends go to.
"It kinda hurts sometimes. But I love my friends because they always support me in whatever I do."
Whole family will cheer him on in Rio
Acevedo's whole family, including parents, grandparents and two sisters will journey to Rio to watch him swim, something he says will fuel him in competition: "I'm going to look up there and see a proud family."
Though he has his sights set on a medal, his first definition of success is "just being there and having fun." He also promises this won't be his only Olympics.
No matter the outcome, there will be little time to relish the experience. The day after the games end Acevedo heads to the University of Georgia on a full swimming scholarship, where he'll join several elite Canadian swimmers.
Meantime he looks forward to representing Canada, and possibly rubbing elbows with some Olympic athletes who also happen to be Toronto Raptors — although they'll be playing for the U.S.
"I'd love to meet Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Maybe they can hook me up with tickets!" .
