Ayman Reflects on 2021
Amidst our team of sponsored Funky Trunkers is Syrian swimmer, Ayman Klzie. Ayman grew up in Aleppo, and at age seven he donned a pair of goggles for the first time and his Olympic dream began. Ayman has endured tragic experiences along his journey, yet despite this he has fought the odds to earn himself Olympian status in 2021.
Ayman’s training is based at Thanyapura in Thailand; a successful training facility for dozens of swimmers from around the world. In his younger years, his home nation of Syria ignited into Civil War. He was lucky enough to relocate to Damascus in 2011, and as the severity of the war worsened at home, Ayman stayed in Damascus for five years. During that time, he was separated from his family, and for extended periods was unable to even communicate with them. There were days where Ayman and his teammates feared rocks in the pool were bombs, and the pools were so cold he and his teammates left the complex shivering. In an emotional encounter in 2015, Ayman saw his family at last, and in 2017 relocated to Thailand to join Thanyapura.
His Olympic campaign this year was of course a highlight, but for Ayman the year of 2021 involved other treasurable moments. In October he competed in Abu Dhabi; which played host to the 2021 Arab Championships. 174 athletes from sixteen nations were in action, including Tunisian Olympic Champion Ahmed El Hefnaoui. Ayman was one of the men to beat amidst the fierce competition, claiming 3 silver medals and 2 national records. “It was really good to be back competing at Arab Championships, especially as we got to meet a lot of my friends and also it was good to know where I am positioned amongst the Arab countries”. One of the biggest takeaways was that this was the Syrian’s first Arab Champs in ten years and was the first time he had seen his big brother in six years. “The moments of winning and the feeling of my family and friends being proud, are what inspire me”.
Preceding the Arab Championships, Klzie fulfilled one of his lifelong ambitions of competing at the Olympic Games. From those eerie mornings in Syria where his coaches would be standing end to end with a mobile phone to dimly light the pool, to the long days of swim, work, gym and swim in Thanyapura, he had done it. "Swimming at the Games was for sure the best feeling ever. In my main event, the 200 fly, I did a national record and was the first swimmer from Syria to go under 2-minutes. I won the heat and beat the swimmers who entered faster than me." National and personal pride are things that all athletes take seriously. When the lights were shining and the stage set, Ayman showed that he doesn’t run from the spotlight, he flourishes in it.
Off the back of a successful year, the champ earned himself yet another nomination to the World Championships; this time the recent FINA Worlds, again in Abu Dhabi. Making his worlds debut all the way back in 2012, his longevity is a testament to not only hard work and resilience, but also sacrifice and patience.
“I swam OK, you know after the Olympics it was tough to train and a break was needed”.
Determined to continue to live his dream of creating a good story for his own swimming career and Syria as a nation, Ayman’s plan now is to focus equally on coaching. “I am an assistant coach of the FINA team in Thailand-Phuket, and also I will change my swimming program to USRPT”. Ultra shortrace pace training is a method of training whereby one trains only at, or faster than, their target race speed. American star Michael Andrew trains according to this philosophy and extremely specific training method. “I am still training at Thanyapura”, Klzie said. “My next plan is to be a head coach of the Syrian team and coach a swimmer to qualify for the next Olympics”.
Keep an eye on our F-Teamer Ayman Klzie in 2022 as he continues to forge a path in and out of the water.
