Aaron Shackell detailed some of his health issues he dealt with while down at the University of Texas. Shackell also revealed how he had a “reality check at Nationals” this past summer.
Shackell qualified for the 2024 US Olympic Team, swimming the 400 free and making the Olympic final where he finished 8th overall. Shackell had begun his collegiate career at Cal in fall 2023 before returning to his club team in Carmel, Indiana for spring 2024. He then made the 2024 US Olympic Team. Shackell announced his transfer to Texas and arrived in fall 2024 but once again returned home to Carmel for the spring. He is now set to continue his NCAA career with Indiana while continuing to train on a hybrid schedule with Carmel Swim Club.
He competed at 2025 US Summer Nationals at the start of June but did not final in any of his events. He was 12th in prelims of the 400 free before scratching finals and 10th in the 200 fly before scratching finals as well. The only event that he raced in finals was the 200 free as he was 11th.
“I had to really look at myself and see what I was doing wrong. It’s not just gonna come easily. I think, after the Olympics, I thought maybe I don’t have to work as hard. I really had to figure it out the hard way, with a bad semester in college and then continuing to struggle through that spring semester,” Shackell said.
He continued, “Then the reality check at Nationals, changing my diet, changing the way I train, talking to my coaches and telling them what are my goals and how I need to hold myself accountable. I want you guys [his coaches] to help me do that as well. And through the summer, I figured out how much I should be weighing and stuff like that, and then performance at the other side.”
Shackell also went into detail on some of his health issues that he dealt with while down in Austin, Texas last fall.
“That sucked…But yeah, I’m feeling healthy now, and I’ve been healthy for a while…It was like tonsilitis. I had to get like, oh, I probably should get my tonsils [removed], but they’re kind of big. Just had to get some pus removed from my tonsil a few times. They were just really big and it might have just been allergies, but bad allergies and just kind of wouldn’t go away on top of that, I couldn’t train and I just want a familiar place to get me back to myself. It took me eight months to figure it out, but finally got it.”
He is now a junior, correct?
Correct, according to his Indiana bio.
What have their parents done?? Yikes.
If the only climate that suits you is your home town’s, that’s going to make it tricky to consistently perform on the world stage.
Time to transfer
I think with a hybrid schedule he will spend a little longer and leave Indiana two weeks before NCAAs
Children who are raised under helicopter parents tend to do not well (health or otherwise) when they’re outside the range of helicopter.
Yes 😔 and the tough part is that they’re often convinced that the way to thrive is to get back within range.
Swimmingly Dory: “Lawn-Mower Parent”…
I feel like sometimes, for me, it can be really easy to forget how young these kids are. I don’t know a lot about him, but I’ll always root for anyone who can openly admit that they weren’t working hard enough or got complacent, and are trying to change that.
Still want to know what happened at Cal.
The sun was too much during the day
Most prima donnas will last about 2 weeks up to a semester at Cal. Academics don’t play and the team doesn’t play with individuals that won’t get on board with the unifying goal.
college is hard
Cedar fever is real in Hill Country in Texas. It’s a horrible allergy to Mountain Cedar pollen and lasts from October until about Valentines Day. I’m from Michigan originally and had never heard of it until I moved to Texas. More people are on allergy meds in Texas than Anywhere I have ever lived .
More Americans have allergies and are on allergy meds than any other countries.
RFKJr?
Not sure why you’re getting so many downvotes (maybe folks are assuming/don’t like potential excuse for Shackell?), but you are spot on with your description of allergens in the area.