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Catching up with Calvyn Justus: South African swimmer and vlogger (Includes interview)

On his vlogs, he said, “I am excited, getting more consistent and I am always trying to improve them. Hopefully, there are going to be more enjoyable in the near future.”

Today, Justus posted his latest YouTube video about his first medal racing in America, where he tied for second place, which may be seen below.

He shared that he officially moved to America this past February, so for the rest of the year, he prefers not to do that much traveling. “I want to get a few training blocks in before next year,” he admitted.

His plans for the rest of the year are to train and to get ready for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. “I am very focused on Tokyo and I am trying to get as prepared as I can be,” he said.

Each day, Justus is motivated by the fact that he hasn’t reached the pinnacle of his goals and dreams. “I have a lot more that I haven’t’ achieved,” he said.

In his high school days, he envisioned that he would be doing what he is doing now, such as moving to America, making videos and training. “The younger version of me would be proud of what I am doing now,” he admitted. “I am hoping to make my second Olympics.”

Justus noted that he would love to someday collaborate with world champion swimmer Michael Andrew, who is a vlogger in his own right. They both have many similarities: Andrew’s parents (Tina and Peter Andrew) and Justus all hail from South Africa, and
Justus and Andrew both love surfing in the California waves. “We have been chatting about getting together for a while,” Justus said. “I’ve met him a couple of times at competitions but never hung out with him outside a swimming pool. We both love surfing and California has some awesome waves out here.”

He also had nothing but the kindest about fellow South African swimmer Brad Tandy. “Brad is a very good friend of mine and I am so proud how well he has been swimming,” he said.

Olympic swimmer Calvyn Justus

Olympic swimmer Calvyn Justus
Calvyn Justus

Justus feels that the new International Swimming League (ISL), in general, is a “breath of fresh air for the sport.” “I am someone that is always involved in bringing more eyes to the sport. Hopefully, this will get more people interested and involved in supporting the swimming world,” he said.

For young and aspiring swimmers, he encouraged them not to put too much pressure on themselves. “At the end of the day, remember that it’s supposed to be fun and enjoyable,” he said. “The moment it becomes more of a task or a chore, then you need to reevaluate where you are at or have a change. A happy swimmer is always a fast swimmer. That’s something I have always taken very seriously.”

He listed the “backstroke” as his personal favorite stroke and expressed his love for the freestyle race. “The backstroke is a beautiful stroke. I enjoy it,” he said.

As a swimmer, he enjoyed visiting Greece and spending time on four Greek islands. “The water doesn’t get much better than that for water,” he said. “Greece was incredible. It is completely mind-blowing. I am so desperate to go back there,” he added.

Digital transformation of aquatics

On being a swimmer in this digital age, Justus said, “It is pretty interesting. My generation is the first of its kind that has experienced this digital age in such a traditional format. Sports have been around for a long time, and its good to see it through the experiences of athletes’ lives. I am pretty excited to be in a position to create content about my training and what I do in my life on a day-to-day basis and sharing it with people.”

Justus defined the word success as “being able to do what you love and being able to make a living out of it.” “Success is when you can find that perfect balance between making a living and doing what you love and enjoying it. I love making film, creating content and working out,” he said.

For his fans and supporters, he said, “I am super grateful. I wouldn’t be able to do what I do if nobody supported me. It means a lot to me. I put a lot in my swimming career and all the training, so it means the world to me when people take the time to watch my YouTube videos.”

To learn more about Calvyn Justus, follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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