Canadian speed skater and Liberty student headed to Winter Olympics

With ice in his veins and under his skates, Anders Johnson — an Ontario native and Vancouver, British Columbia, resident pursuing his B.S. in Theology – Apologetics through Liberty University Online Programs — is preparing to compete on one of the largest and slickest stages in the world.

During an Olympic Skate-Off at the Jan. 2-6 Canada Cup in Quebec City, Johnson, 28, clinched one of seven spots on Team Canada’s men’s speed skating team for the Feb. 6-22 Winter Games in Milan, Italy. He will represent his country in the 500- and 1,000-meter events.

“It was an incredible weekend of racing, and praise the Lord, He blessed me on that day,” Johnson said after the team was officially announced on Jan. 15. “It is such a privilege and an honor to be the athlete on the line representing your country at the Winter Games and to feel your whole country behind you. My goal is to give God glory and to represent Him as a faithful witness.”

Johnson and his teammates flew to Germany on Jan. 18 for the season’s final World Cup event, he earned a silver medal in the 1,000 B Division and finished eighth overall in the 500, a career best in that event at a World Cup. He and his teammates have had an extra week of training there before they travel south to Italy in time for the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 6.

“It will be a full month on the road, and I am really looking forward to it,” said Johnson, a former hockey athlete who transitioned to speed skating in high school. “It will be cool to be in the Olympic village and connect with athletes in different sports and watch them compete and cheer them on.”

Johnson will be cheered on in person by his parents and brother, aunt and uncle, and two cousins, all planning to travel to Europe.

“Our family has never been to Italy, so it’s a new country for us, and we’re really excited for the trip,” he said. “I haven’t skated in Italy before, either.”

Including this past week, he has now competed at World Cups in eight countries: Canada, China, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and the United States.

Johnson is currently ranked No. 26 in the world in the 500 and No. 23 in the world in the 1,000. He remains hopeful and plans to leave everything on the 400-meter track at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.

“Obviously, for the last four years, this has been the goal,” he said. “While the World Cup is an incredible opportunity to represent your country, the Olympics is the biggest competition for our sport, with the very best of the best people there. When you have the whole world watching at the Olympics, it is a very special opportunity.”

That is especially true in long-track speed skating, the event in which Team Canada has won the most medals (10 gold, 16 silver, 16 bronze).

“Canada is historically a very strong speed skating team at the Olympics,” Johnson said. “At every Games, going into it, there are people who are podium threats and people who are outliers. Speed skating is really, really competitive right now, and there are some super strong skaters around the world (but) anything can happen on the day you get to the race. There are five to 10 athletes who could end up on the podium on any given weekend, which makes it really exciting to watch. At any given time, it’s anybody’s race.”

Medal or no medal in Milan, Johnson is excited to make his mark and to share the Gospel as an ambassador for Team Canada and for Christ.

“I was able to start a Bible study with some American and Norwegian skaters on the World Cup (circuit), and Lord willing, I am going to continue that at the World Cup in Germany and leading into the Olympics,” Johnson said. “I pray that the Lord would bless that and other skaters would come out, and that they would be curious to know Him, and God would work on their hearts.”