Three-time Olympic Swimmer Brian Johns Looks to Make History
With over a decade of representing Canada in the pool, swimmer Brian Johns is on the path to making history. Johns, of Richmond BC, is less than two years away from becoming the first Canadian to compete at four Olympic Games in the pool.
In a week from now, he will be swimming in Delhi, India at his third Commonwealth Games, and important stepping stone towards London 2012, and the only thing on his mind is getting on that podium.
Asked what keeps him motivated to reach that ultimate goal, Johns says it’s the love for the sport, and absence of an Olympic medal in his back pocket.
“I love my job, of being a professional swimmer. It’s easy for me to get up in the morning and go to the pool with a positive attitude because I just love to challenge myself,” said Johns.
It hasn’t been an easy ride for Johns to get to where he is. After the World Championships in 2003, Johns suffered a serious shoulder injury and had to take some time off to rehabilitate.
“Dealing with the injury has made me a smarter athlete,” added Johns. “I listen to my body a lot more and when it’s time to slow down, I change my routine so I don’t over train it.”
“After the 2008 Olympics, I decided that I would focus more on triathlon. It kept my fitness level quite high, and when I decided to swim at nationals, I made the World University team. I swam really well and enjoyed it so much. It was after that I decided to keep going on for a fourth Olympics and go for the podium.
“I have nothing to lose. I’ve had a great career so far, and all that is missing is that Olympic medal.”
Sharing his story is important to Brian, as he loves it when people get inspired from his own accomplishments. As such, Brian recently launched a personal website to communicate to fans and share anecdotes on his journey to London 2012.
Visit Brian’s website at www.brian-johns.ca.
