“Quarantine has been an adjustment,” he said. “Trying to find a pool and a workout place in Arizona has been tough. It has been hard adjusting.”
“We pretty much do Zoom sessions every single day. It gives me structure, and as an athlete, I like the structure,” he added.
On being a water polo player in the digital age, he said, “The digital age is fun and it has helped water polo grow. There is a world that wouldn’t have known what water polo is without the digital age, especially in our country. It’s a huge asset for growing the sport, and I think it will help grow water polo even more..”
He is drawn to the sport due to the “team aspect” of it. “I love being a part of the team and playing with the guys,” he said. “I miss hanging out with the guys and being a part of the team every single day.”
Each day, Obert is motivated by his love for competing. “I’m addicted to competition,” he admitted. “I love to compete at the highest level and the Olympic Games is the highest level there is, and that drives me every day.”
Last summer, the men’s USA water polo team won first place at the Pan American Games that were held in Peru, Lima. “That was awesome. That was our whole goal for the summer: to go there, win the gold and qualify for the Olympic Games. It was nice to start the summer with that goal and to accomplish that. It was a great feeling and a cool atmosphere there. We played really well there,” he said.
This past January, the USA water polo team beat Greece in in Cuneo, Italy. “That was a beautiful city. It was a great competition and a great start,” he said. “I was playing in their league and now we were playing them,” he said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Making the Olympics in 2021.” “That’s my No. 1 focus right now and I will do everything it takes to accomplish that,” he said.
Most impressive about Obert was the fact that he started swimming as a teenager at the age of 16. “I started later than most people. I was a basketball player to begin with,” he said.
For young and aspiring water polo players, he encouraged them to give it a chance. “Water polo has a hard learning curve in the beginning. Keep fighting through since that skill will help you later in life.. Give the sport a chance even when it’s difficult. Push through, that’s a lesson that you can take for the rest of your life, no matter what it is,” he said.
“It’s a tough year, but keep holding on,” he told his fans and supporters. “We are giving our all in this weird time and we will be ready for 2021. We are super excited to get back out there.”
Obert defined the word success as “giving his best effort and doing it at the best level that I can do it.”
To learn more about American water polo player Alex Obert, follow him on Instagram.
For more information on USA Water Polo, visit its official homepage.
