Alex Shackell wanted to keep things low-key. The Carmel senior swimmer brought her gold and silver medals from the 2024 Paris Olympics to school Monday, planning to keep them in her backpack unless showing them off to a couple teachers.
She managed to keep them mostly out of sight, but the principal wanted a photo of Shackell wearing the medals underneath the “CHS IS GREAT” sign in a main hallway. She obliged, of course, but taking the photo took longer than expected and before she knew it, Shackell was standing there with two Olympic medals draped around her neck as hundreds of students emptied into the hallway.
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The 17-year-old was immediately swallowed up; the center of attention for her contributions to Team USA’s silver medalist 4×200 freestyle relay team and record-setting 4×100 medley relay team.
“That was interesting,” Shackell laughed during a phone interview Tuesday with IndyStar.
“It got a little hectic once word got out that I had them,” she continued, “so I did not bring them back.”
Shackell dreamt of competing in the Olympics since she was 8 years old. The daughter of Olympic swimmer Nick Shackell (Great Britain, 1996), she recalls watching the Rio Olympics at home: “That’s when I decided I wanted to go and wanted to compete.”
Too young for Tokyo 2020, Shackell charted a three-year plan for the 2024 games in Paris. Her vision came into focus when she qualified for the 2023 World Championships; her dream was realized at the Olympic swim trials in downtown Indianapolis earlier this summer. Shackell qualified for the 200 butterfly and 4×200 freestyle, then wound up competing in a third event, the 4×100 medley.
“It was crazy,” Shackell said of holding her Olympic medals for the first time. “I’ve always seen them on TV or social media through other athletes posting them, but to have my own — it feels so weird. I own this.”
The past couple months have taken Shackell from Raleigh, N.C. to Croatia to Paris. She’s always wanted to travel during the summer, so to finally take a trip while also competing at the highest stage was “surreal.”
Shackell’s Olympic dreams began with Rio 2008. She returns from Paris 2024 as the second Indiana girl to medal at an Olympics while still in high school.
“I don’t know why, but I keep forgetting it happened, that I just lived through all that,” Shackell said. “Those five weeks went by so fast, but it felt like an entire lifetime. I don’t see how I could ever beat this type of summer.”
‘I got a gold medal’
Shackell’s Olympic debut came with Carmel Swim Club coach Chris Plumb on the Team USA staff and her brother, Aaron Shackell, on the roster, competing in the 400-meter freestyle (he finished eighth). Alex didn’t see her brother as much as some might expect, she said, but having him there and being able to train together a few times “made it feel more normal.”
“It was great having him there,” Shackell continued. “I’m sure my parents were a little stressed with two kids to manage, but they were having a blast. It was fun. It’s all on my mom’s Instagram.”
Shackell’s first Olympic experience was certainly unique.
With her events so early on the schedule, she skipped the opening ceremony — it’s a long day and will wear you out, her teammates cautioned in the group chat — and instead dressed up, took some photos and watched from the Olympic Village. “It’s something I will probably regret for the rest of my life,” Shackell said, “until hopefully LA.”
Shackell stayed in a hotel the night before her race, then walked over by herself to the aquatic center, which was nearly at capacity when she began warming up for her first prelim.
It was unique, Shackell said, with the atmosphere making every race feel like it was her last.
Shackell helped the 4×200 freestyle team qualify in prelims, then reached the finals of the 200 butterfly. She “wasn’t super happy” with her 2:07.73 in her lone individual event (finished sixth), but moments after finishing, she was tabbed to swim the butterfly leg of the 4×100 medley prelim.
“I was super excited when they told me I could do it,” Shackell said. “I had full confidence they were going to win a gold medal, so I just had to do my part. And it worked out. I got a gold medal.”
Shackell wasn’t fully on the podium for the gold medal ceremony (World Aquatics made a late change), but USA Swimming had their own photoshoot where everyone dressed up and had their own individual medal ceremony. “It felt like we were on the podium,” Shackell said. “But I have to take that as more motivation to earn my spot at night on the podium so I can actually take it all in.”
‘The best muffin I’ve ever, ever had.’
Shackell was keenly aware of the chocolate muffins inside the Olympic Village popularized by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen on TikTok, and made a deal with herself she wouldn’t have one until after her final race.
She planned on treating herself following the 200 fly final, but had to wait another day after being picked for the 4×100 medley. That was “pretty disappointing,” Shackell joked, but once the race was over…
“It was the best muffin I’ve ever, ever had. I’m really passionate about those muffins,” she laughed. “I heard some back-and-forth whether it was mid or just wasn’t that good, but I think it was outstanding. The hype around it is so worth it and I need to know the recipe, because I only got one and I kinda regret not bringing them home somehow. They were really good.”
Did it make up for missing the Opening Ceremony?
“If there was anything that would make up for that, it was definitely the muffin.”
Shackell had an entire day to explore outside the Olympic Village with her parents following her final race. While she didn’t get to see the Eiffel Tower, she was able to try some different foods and pastries around the city. “It was the first time I had real food in a long time and it was outstanding,” she said.
Shackell and her family returned to the aquatic center for the final night of swimming events, cheering on her teammates as they broke two world records and finished atop the gold medal count.
“That was the best possible way we could have ended it,” Shackell said.
“I’m happy I was in the stands to watch that part, because that was crazy,” she continued. “If I was trying to talk about swimming and the race, I wouldn’t have been able to experience that. It was an awesome night.”
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Alex Shackell returns to Carmel High School with Paris Olympics medals
