CARMEL — Imagine competing at the 2024 Olympics, winning two medals and then having to come home and go to high school.
Well, that’s exactly the case for one Carmel High School senior.
“I’ve been dreaming of it since I was 8-years-old,” Alex Shackell said.
17-year-old Shackell is back in high school after what she calls the summer of her life.
“Having these around my neck is like crazy. I never want to take them off,” Shackell said, talking about the gold and silver medals around her neck.
She didn’t do it alone, her older brother, Aaron Shackell, competed too. She also could not do it without the help of her swim team — the Carmel Swim Club.
Their parents are elite level swimmers in their own right as well.
“I’ve wanted one so bad and my dad never got an Olympic medal. I always told him that I would get one and I'd do it for him,” Shackell told WRTV.
Shackell says while her Olympic experience was great, she's eager to push for the 2028 Olympics held in LA.
“Seeing how the French felt for their athletes and how they went crazy, I want their experience,” Shackell said.
For now, Shackell is just hoping to be like any other high school senior.
“If my little self could see me doing this right now, it’s unreal,” she said.
