There were days Shayna Jack couldn’t get out of bed. Swimming – her main purpose in life – had been taken away, and many in Australia believed her to be a drug cheat. She tried not to read what was being said and written, but a brief look at Instagram revealed some pretty horrible stuff that further twisted the already-tangled mess inside her head.
In 2019, days before the start of the world championships, Jack tested positive for a small amount of the banned substance Ligandrol. She was 20 years old and on the verge of qualifying for a maiden Olympics in Tokyo, only to be suspended and prohibited from doing so. She was also 20 years old and ill-equipped to deal with the volume and manner of public scrutiny her case received.
“But now I regularly see a psychologist just to make sure I’m staying on top of myself. And I also actually journal. I love to reflect. I love to make sure that I am looking at myself and being proud of who I am. When I look at myself in the mirror, I’ve been through a lot and I know that so many people in life go through different challenges and no matter what, it’s a challenge and we have to get up each day and keep pushing ourselves to try and get the best out .
One person who was there through it all was Dean Boxall. On Friday night, after finally securing an individual Games debut via qualification for the 100m freestyle, Jack made a beeline to embrace her coach.
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