Latest news with #AndreaFuentes
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Team USA swimmer Anita Alvarez, who nearly drowned in 2022, shares major health and life update
Image Credits: Alvarez breaks silence, reflects on near-death experience Anita Alvarez , the Team USA artistic swimmer who made headlines for nearly drowning during the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, has opened up about her health recovery and future plans. The 28-year-old athlete, who was dramatically pulled from the pool by her coach, Andrea Fuentes , after blacking out mid-performance, is doing 'better than ever' since the life-threatening scare. In an exclusive interview with People, Alvarez shared details about the harrowing moment when she lost consciousness in the water. 'I remember suddenly beginning to see light through my eyes and thinking 'Oh, I'm not breathing,' just as they were starting to put an oxygen mask on me,' she recalled. Despite the life-threatening experience, Alvarez remains determined to continue competing and achieving personal goals both in and out of the pool. From tragedy to triumph: Alvarez's unyielding spirit Alvarez's strength has been evident ever since that fateful day in Budapest. Following the near-drowning, Alvarez has made impressive strides, including her recent silver medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics . 'I'm doing better than ever,' she said, further proving that the near-death experience hasn't set her back. However, the Olympic swimmer 's journey isn't just about synchro swimming anymore. Inspired by a new sense of purpose, Alvarez has pursued a new passion by joining the US Air Force through the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), which allows top athletes to serve while continuing to train for Olympic competition. Image Credits: Instagram/Anitaaalvarez 'I just couldn't pass up the chance to wear two uniforms, representing the US Air Force while training full-time for the next Olympics,' Alvarez explained. She enrolled in basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and graduated from WCAP in January as the program's first gold medalist and the 15th Olympian it has supported. Looking ahead, Alvarez plans to continue her Olympic career, with the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in her sights. Afterward, she intends to pursue a full-time career with the Air Force, blending her passion for athletics with her service to the country. 'While I cherish my time as a professional athlete, it's exciting to have something to look forward to when that time is up,' she added. Facing health struggles: Alvarez opens up about past medical episodes Before the terrifying ordeal in Budapest, Alvarez had already faced other health challenges. In 2021, during an Olympic qualifying event in Barcelona, she passed out after a duet performance. Her coach, Andrea Fuentes, had to dive into the pool to pull her out. Reflecting on that moment, Alvarez told NPR, 'I remember feeling like I was in a hamster wheel. Everything was spinning, then went dark. I woke up at the side of the pool and realized I'm at a competition. 'Wait, I am the competition.' Everyone's staring at me.' Following that incident, Alvarez underwent medical testing to identify any underlying health issues, though she admitted, 'Tokyo came up so fast, and I don't think I did the best job of being on top of it.' Despite some uncertainty, she pushed forward, making her way to the Tokyo Olympics . However, the incident in Budapest was far more dramatic. As photos and video footage showed, Alvarez was unresponsive and had to be rescued by Fuentes and a lifeguard. Fuentes later spoke out about the difficulty of the sport. In an interview with People , Fuentes explained, 'The sport is extremely hard. Sometimes people pass out. Our job is to discover our limits, that's what we do as athletes.' She further explained that Alvarez's incident was the result of pushing herself to her absolute limits, adding, 'It was her best performance ever, she just pushed through her limits and she found them.' Following the rescue, Fuentes reassured the public that Alvarez was okay once she was pulled from the water, explaining, "She only had water in her lungs; once she started breathing again, everything was okay." Alvarez herself shared that she was grateful for the outpouring of support, saying on Instagram that she was "OK and healthy," thanking fans for their messages of support. A bright future and the impact of her story Despite the terrifying images and the media frenzy that followed, Alvarez has taken an inspiring approach to the ordeal. 'It blew up way more than I ever thought,' she said, reflecting on the widespread attention the incident received. But Alvarez's perspective changed after learning how the photos of her rescue inspired others. 'Learning how those photos inspired people changed the way I looked at it,' she admitted. While she was banned from competing in the team final at the 2022 World Championships, Alvarez's courage and determination have remained unchanged. Just 48 hours later, she was back on track, earning her place on the team for future competitions. Her return to top form in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she earned a silver medal, proved that the Budapest incident did not define her. Looking to the future, Alvarez is eager to return to training for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. "It was the longest I'd ever been out of a pool" after her post-Olympic time in the WCAP, she said, but her passion for her sport is as strong as ever. 'I'd do it forever if I could,' Alvarez concluded, reaffirming her commitment to her career as a swimmer while also balancing her dual role as an Airman in the US Air Force.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Team USA swimmer who nearly drowned during competition breaks silence with major health update
A Olympic swimmer who blacked out and nearly drowned at a competition revealed she is doing better than ever since the life-threatening health scare. Team USA artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez made headlines when she plummeted to the bottom of a pool during the 2022 World Championships in Budapest. The 28-year-old saw her life flash before her eyes in the harrowing moment, as her coach, Andrea Fuentes, dove into the water to rescue her. But she has not let the near-death experience set her back, as she is continuing to make massive strides to better herself beyond her beloved sport. 'A lot of athletes struggle with the question of "what's next?" when they think about the end of their career and try to figure out what they want to do in the real world,' Alvarez told People. For the determined swimmer, the answer was clear - following another passion to become an Air Force recruit. After helping her team earn a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she enrolled in basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland as a member of the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). The WCAP allows high-level athletes to continue Olympic training while serving the nation. 'Our mission is to develop Department of Air Force athletes and prepare them to successfully qualify for Team USA and compete on the world stage at the Olympic Games,' its mission statement reads. WCAP was a perfect fit for Alvarez, who has no intentions of slowing down when it comes to her synchronized swimming. 'Being able to wear two uniforms and get to prepare full time for the next Olympics while also representing the US Air Force just seemed like something I couldn't pass up,' the native New Yorker explained to People. Alvarez graduated from WCAP in January as the first gold-medalist and 15th Olympian the program saw. She said she plans to pursue a full time career as a US Air Force personnel after she competes at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. 'I have aspirations to continue serving after. But right now the passion for my sport is still there. I'd do it forever if I could,' Alvarez clarified. 'While I cherish my time as a professional athlete, it is also very exciting to have something to look forward to when that time is up.' As she looks ahead to her bright future as Airman Alvarez, she reflects on her tumultuous past of mysterious medical hurdles that almost halted her success. Before the heavily-publicized Budapest horror, Alvarez had already experienced danger in the water. At an Olympic qualifying event in Barcelona in 2021, she passed out after performing a duet, prompting her coach to lunge into the pool and pull her out. 'I remember getting to the end of the routine and not feeling like I had much control,' Alvarez previously told NPR about the first time she went unconscious while competing. 'I hit the last pose and I remember feeling like I was in a hamster wheel. Everything was spinning, then went dark. 'I woke up at the side of the pool and realized I'm at a competition. "Wait, I am the competition." Everyone's staring at me.' She decided to sit out her last routine and had an alternate take her place, ultimately securing Alvarez's spot for the Tokyo Olympics. Concerned about what caused her alarming health episode, she started searching for answers. 'I started to get some testing after Barcelona to figure it out, but Tokyo came up so fast, and I don't think I did the best job of being on top of it.' Alvarez (pictured in 2022) said she plans to pursue a full time career as a US Air Force personnel after she competes at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles After the 2021 Olympics, Alvarez let herself rest, assuming her health scare meant she was simply drained from pushing herself too hard. 'There was nothing major in the tests, so I kept going. Everything was fine until Budapest,' she told NPR. 'I never even thought about the possibility of it happening again.' But it did - and this time, the entire world was watching. Jaw-dropping photos captured the Fuentes rushed to Alvarez's aid. A lifeguard soon joined in to help pull Alvarez's limp body out of the pool. Recalling the moment she was yanked to safety, Alvarez told People: 'I remember suddenly beginning to see light through my eyes and thinking "'Oh, I'm not breathing," just as they were starting to put an oxygen mask on me.' After the dramatic ordeal, Fuentes spoke out on Alvarez's behalf. 'The sport is extremely hard. Sometimes people pass out. Our job is to discover our limits, that's what we do as athletes,' Fuentes said. Before the heavily-publicized Budapest horror (pictured), Alvarez had already experienced danger in the water She added in in Instagram post: 'It was her best performance ever, she just pushed through her limits and she found them.' USA Artistic Swimming said in a statement: 'Watching yesterday's medical emergency of 2x Olympian Anita Alvarez and subsequent rescue by coach Andrea Fuentes was heartbreaking for our community. 'She gave an exceptional solo performance and competed brilliantly in four preliminary and three final competitions across six days. 'Anita has been evaluated by medical staff and will continue to be monitored. She is feeling much better and using today to rest.' She added that it would be determined by the medical staff if she could perform at the next event. In the immediate aftermath of the incident Fuentes explained: 'She only had water in her lungs, once she started breathing again everything was ok. She's said she wants to swim in the final.' Alvarez said in an Instagram story that she was 'ok and healthy' as she thanked fans for their messages of support. As she looks ahead to her bright future as Airman Alvarez (pictured), she reflects on her tumultuous past of mysterious medical hurdles that almost halted her success WCAP was a perfect fit for Alvarez (center), who has no intentions of slowing down when it comes to her synchronized swimming Nevertheless, Alvarez was banned by the International Swimming Federation from competing in the team final 48 hours later. '[The incident] blew up way more than I ever thought,' Alvarez admitted to People. 'But learning how those photos inspired people changed the way I looked at it.' After stepping out of the spotlight and determining she was more than alright to continue competing, Alvarez stunned at the 2024 Paris Olympics, taking home a silver medal.
