Swimming Life Experience Series

It’s not often that you meet a person for the first time and quickly get the vibe of that individual instantly showing a dedication to a life of being useful, informative, and building success stories.

His name is Ali Furkan Gür.

Like many people, times have also been compelling and tough in certain ways for the 33-year-old, who came to Canada late in 2023. With life still not fully back to normal after a pandemic, many careers stagnant, upheaval in sectors of the workforce and the economy frustrating so many, Gür has his share of jitters and nervousness.

So, what is his magic formula?

It starts with a thirst for learning, improving, and making things better. While that’s often not easy for some people, and his journey also encounters peaks and valleys, Gür is asking the right questions. He’s also expanding his priorities to one day develop a career in sports management, marketing, and event planning.

Right now, the final destination is not clear. The city and country yet to be determined. People who have grown to know him, love the guy for his positive attitude, determination, and willingness to gobble up as much experience as he can.

What is for certain is sports have engulfed his life, as an athlete and coach. Along the way, like many, he’s made some adjustments. Once focussed on swimming, he then turned to becoming a triathlete. Gür calls it part of his “life experience”.

Home for him is Türkiye, a country that is bordered by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea. As for being in Canada, Gür is what the federal government labels him as - an international student. Graduation from Durham College in Oshawa happens in mid-2024.

Then, it’s taking the knowledge that he has learned, along with the experience - and connecting more pieces to his puzzle of a formal career.

He’s also interning in Toronto with two of the most prominent amateur sport organizations in Canada. That amounts to lots of learning and thriving on the wealth of knowledge and exposure gobbled up at Swim Ontario and the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario.

“I think I’m doing a good job - or I would be told otherwise,” he said. “Internship is a huge opportunity, a gift of sorts, because I get to work in a North American sports community. It’s leaning and adapting, but I also see that more investments are needed for facilities and that leads to more athletes who can also get better.”

Claiming to be more relaxed than initially thought, he’s also not pressured in his daily routine to reach certain levels. Gür is also aware that things can change rapidly.

Getting hooked on sports was something that started with role models – his father and mother, İsmail Hakkı Gür and Hülya Gür. It was during his toddler years that they introduced him to swimming – a sport they thought would help him develop important life skills quicker and better than other athletics.

The formal swim lessons would follow. At the age of seven, Gür was into competitive swimming and charged on building success in the backstroke.

“Whenever I was down or just feeling upset, I turned to sports,” he said. “It helped me, also cleared my mind and I know the physical exercise made things so much better.”

At age 15, he expanded the swimming to also include running and cycling. For him, it was an experiment at becoming a triathlete. Over time, he gained confidence and success would follow. Gür went on to compete at the European championships and in 2014, he was the runner-up at the Turkish triathlete finals.

The time came when he shuffled off to Ege (also known as Agean) university to earn a four-year degree in the coastal city of Izmir, the second most populous community in Turkey. Next up, was fulfilling his dream of becoming a head coach.

That happened when he was given the job of coaching the swim program Kültür University in Istanbul. He would also start a swim club that catered to swimmers in the master’s category.

Married in 2019, and his wife pregnant with their first child, Gür also talked about a personal perk – a unique cycle tour that started in Saudia Arabia and ended in Italy.

He took the challenge in 2011 as a 21-year-old – but joined the contingent when they peddled through Türkiye. Sponsored by a rotary club, he would join the group of 25 and cycle just under 1,000 kilometres in about three weeks.

“It’s not something you do every day, but I had heard about this, applied and was accepted,” he said while acknowledging the trip from Greece to Italy by boat was a much-needed rest on his body. “I was in good physical shape, but also lost weight and my wife won’t let me do it again.”

Gür has some fascinating stories about life as an athlete, coach, and student. That next call for an UBER driver just might be him at the wheel. As he explains, it’s not only a way to pay some bills, but socialize and continue to meet interesting people.

Look at him from just about any angle, and what emerges is a man focussed on progress and good times.

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.