30.10.2026 12:21
Can Acar, a 17-year-old national swimmer and high school student in Ankara, underwent surgery twice within 2 years due to a bone tumor detected in his right ankle. Two days after learning that the tumor had recurred, Acar broke Derya Büyükuncu's 33-year record and represented Turkey at the European and World Junior Championships. The young athlete, who holds 42 Turkish records, aims for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Can Acar (17), a high school student in Ankara, represented Turkey at the 2024, 2025 and 2026 European Junior Swimming Championships and the 2025 World Junior Swimming Championships after undergoing two surgeries within 2 years due to a bone tumor detected in his right ankle 4 years ago. Acar holds a total of 42 Turkish records in the 13-18 age range.
Can Acar, who continues his high school education at TED Ankara College with an 80 percent athlete scholarship, began swimming at the age of 5 with his family's guidance. Can Acar, who has competed within Fenerbahçe for 4 seasons, underwent surgery in March 2022 due to a bone tumor detected on the outer part of his right ankle. Acar returned to swimming 8 months after the surgery by breaking his first Turkish record in the 50-meter backstroke in the 13-year-old category at the Gaziantep Dam Crossing Race with a time of 28.05.
THE TUMOR RECURRED, AND 2 DAYS LATER HE BROKE A 33-YEAR-OLD RECORD
After learning in July 2023 that the tumor had recurred and that he needed to undergo surgery for a second time, Acar broke Derya Büyükuncu's record that had remained unbroken for 33 years with a time of 58.97 in the 100-meter backstroke at the 14-Year-Old Turkish Championship, which he entered 2 days after receiving this news. He then had his second surgery.
NATIONAL TEAM AFTER SURGERY
Then, at the National Team Trials in March 2024, Acar broke the 15-16-17 age record in the 50-meter backstroke and earned the title of the youngest male athlete to participate in the 2024 European Junior Swimming Championships in Lithuania. The national swimmer, who had his first national team experience in March 2024 at the Multinations Youth Swim Meet in Skopje, North Macedonia, represented Turkey at the 2025 World Junior Swimming Championships and the 2024, 2025 and 2026 European Junior Swimming Championships. Acar, who won gold medals at the 2024 and 2025 COMEN Cup (Mediterranean Cup), currently holds a total of 42 Turkish records in the 50, 100 and 200-meter backstroke events in the 13-18 age range.
THE SURGERIES WERE VERY CHALLENGING
Can Acar said that he did not give up swimming despite battling a bone tumor, stating, "The surgeries I underwent of course made me very anxious and challenged me greatly; but at the same time, they played a huge role in shaping my athlete identity and character. I did everything I could to recover as soon as possible and return to sports, and I succeeded. I have a total of 42 Turkish records. In 2025, I represented my country as a national team swimmer at the World Junior Championships, in 2024-2025-2026 at the European Junior Championships, at the Mediterranean Junior Cup and at the Multinations Swimming Championships. Now my goal is to represent my country and our flag at the Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles in 2028. At the moment, I am busy pursuing my dream of studying at a university in America. I want to study at Columbia University in New York City, USA."
HIS ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE: FOCUS ON THE PROCESS
Can Acar said that swimming is a sport that requires patience, using the following words: "In swimming, one season can go very badly and the next season can go very well. So I think one needs to focus a little on the process, not the result. My advice to young people interested in this field is to value not only the result but also the process and what you do during that process, how efficiently you train and how well you spend your time. Doing sports at a young age also shapes your identity and character and adds discipline to you."