Henderson State swimmer Lamar Taylor hopes to find Olympic success for the Bahamas in Paris
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The lights on, chlorine in the air, the stillness of the pool… it's what a swimmer sees every day.
Lamar Taylor started swimming when he was 2 years old in his hometown of Freeport, Bahamas. For the nearly life-long swimmer, being in the water is a transcendent experience.
“As soon as I dive in it just kind of goes in slow motion, I don't hear anything,” Taylor said. “I'm just swimming and as soon as I touch the wall I hear the crowds.”
Taylor eventually made his way to a small college in southwest Arkansas, Henderson State University.
“I came to Henderson and they welcomed me with open arms,” he said.
He made a splash during his freshmen year at Henderson State, winning his first All-American title. His sophomore year had some moments of defeat, adding time at his meets. It's those moments that Taylor says propels him forward.
“My junior year was really when things came about, and I had a really good time,” he noted.
Taylor went into the Division II National Championship that year seeded First or Second in all of his events and came home with lots of hardware.
“When I came out of the water, all of it hit,” Taylor said. “I won three titles.”
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: Lamar Taylor of Henderson St. placed first in the Mens 100 yard backstroke event during the Division II Mens and Womens Swimming & Diving Championships held at the IU Natatorium (IUPUI) on March 10, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Marc Lebryk/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) -
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 11: Lamar Taylor of Henderson St. reacts to winning the Mens 100 yard freestyle event during the Division II Mens and Womens Swimming & Diving Championships held at the IU Natatorium (IUPUI) on March 11, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Marc Lebryk/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) -
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 11: Lamar Taylor of Henderson St. competes in the Mens 100 yard freestyle event during the Division II Mens and Womens Swimming & Diving Championships held at the IU Natatorium (IUPUI) on March 11, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Marc Lebryk/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) -
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: Lamar Taylor of Henderson St. competes in the Mens 100 yard backstroke event during the Division II Mens and Womens Swimming & Diving Championships held at the IU Natatorium (IUPUI) on March 10, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Marc Lebryk/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
He had become the national champion in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard freestyle.
Taylor was the first three-time national champion at a single national championship in the history of Henderson State.
That's when he felt like his dream of making the Olympic team could become a reality.
“The Bahamas can automatically send two swimmers, one male and one female,” Taylor explained, adding that the rankings are based on how close competitors are to the world record.
With one year at HSU left, Taylor took his mark with his eyes on Paris 2024 but hit a bump in the lane at Nationals.
“My shoulder, I wouldn't say gave out, but it kind of did something strange and twitched,” he said.
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BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - AUGUST 20: amar Taylor of Bahamas competes in the heats of the Men's 100m Backstroke during Day One of the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships at Duna Arena on August 20, 2019 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) -
Lamar Taylor of Bahamas watches the score board of Men 50m Butterfly heat at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Sunday, July 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) -
SANTIAGO, CHILE - OCTOBER 24: Bronze medalist Lamar Taylor of Bahamas poses on the podium of Men's 50m Freestyle final at Aquatics Center of Parque Deportivo Estadio Nacional on Day 4 of Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games on October 24, 2023 in Santiago, Chile (Photo by Jam Media/Getty Images) -
SMETHWICK, ENGLAND - JULY 29: Lamar Taylor of Team Bahamas competes in the Men's 50m Butterfly Heats on day one of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Sandwell Aquatics Centre on July 29, 2022 on the Smethwick, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Pushing through the pain, he still defended one of his national titles.
“We swam the 100 free with my shoulder still bothering me, and I just went out there and surprisingly still won,” Taylor said.
His coach Scotty Serio says Taylor knows how to swim against adversity.
“He's the type of kid who's sacrificed a lot to even come here, right?” Serio said. “He's got to move all the way across the world, He's got to go to a country he's never been to.”
That perseverance is now taking him to the next level. Even after swimming in the Olympic trials with an injury, he made the team.
“Hearing that was a sigh of relief, finally did it, finally made it,” Taylor said.
He’s not forgetting the people who got him there.
“My first coach and definitely my mom, because she has always been my number one supporter,” Taylor said.
Serio knows Taylor will make waves in the pools of Paris and beyond.
“And so, I'm excited for not only this, but for him to get the experience of this 2024 meet to see what he's able to accomplish in 2028,” Serio said.
Taylor is ready to take his mark in Paris and swim for his country.
“That's always been my life goal and be named an Olympian and represent the Bahamas at the Olympics,” he said.
Taylor takes to the pool in the 100-meter freestyle at 4 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, July 30. Coverage of the competition is available on Peacock.
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