Swimmer and freshman Alex Shackell swims laps at practice. Shackell said she typically practices swimming twice a day: in the morning and in the afternoon. Shackell also said she hopes to competitively swim at the Olympics. (Luke Miller)
What are your greatest athletic achievements?
(Some) of them would definitely be going to (the Olympic) trials this year for swimming and then winning nationals this year.
What does a typical day of training look like for you?
For example, on Monday I get up at 4:45 a.m. and then we have practice at 5:30. We have an hour in the weight room and then two-hour swim. We go to school and then we come back from 4:20 to 6 practice.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in swimming?
(A challenge for me was) going to big meets at such a young age and having bigger competitions than I was used to, but it really just made me more motivated and determined.
Swimmer and freshman Alex Shackell swims laps in the pool. Shackell said she has been swimming from a young age and faced a achallenge as she had to go to big meets. (Luke Miller)
What is the most memorable moment from your swimming career?
The summer in Greensborough during nationals when I won the 100 fly and I saw my team and it made me so happy.
What are your plans for after high school?
I definitely want to swim in college and then hopefully go to one of the Olympics. Since I’m only a freshman, I haven’t really looked too far into it but there’s a few (colleges), I like (such as) Virginia, Stanford and Florida.
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