Tom Shields Openly Discusses Ups & Downs of The Olympic Quad, Suicide Attempt

In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman HodgesGarrett McCaffrey, and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.

CONTENT WARNING: We do discuss sensitive topics, including suicide, in this video/podcast and there is brief profanity. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, please call the national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit their website at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

We sat down with 2x Olympian Tom Shields, fresh off of his 2nd Olympic qualification in the 100 fly in Omaha. Shields dives in with us, talking for nearly an hour about his whole quad and how he’s navigated the last 5 years. He mentions that for a normal person, a year or two may not seem like that long, but for someone who lives in quads, it can be a lifetime. Shields has been through many ups and downs since 2016, including the 2020 ISL season (the best season of his career) as well as a suicide attempt in late 2018, all of which he talks about in detail.

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Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

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Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.

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Xman
3 years ago

One of the simplest ways to obtain help for sucidal idiations is to go to the ER and tell them.

Last edited 3 years ago by Xman
Cate
3 years ago

I’m glad Tom Shields got the help he needs. His openness about his mental health is to be commended. I hope that just because he thinks “he’s not famous like Tom Cruise” that there still isn’t someone that can’t be helped by his openness about this issue. With Ian Thorpe, Michael Phelps, Grant Hackett, Allison Schmitt, Missy Franklin and Jacob Pebley opening up about their mental health struggles, perhaps there will be less of a stigma about this and the respective swimming associations will put some programs in place.

Supafly23
3 years ago

Supafly, supaguy

Bayliss
3 years ago

beefyT!

Jessica WJ
3 years ago

Tom is all over the place, and I love it. Kudos to SwimSwam for going with this.

Virtus
3 years ago

U almost never hear pro athletes be this open about their mentality it’s so interesting to hear

Cate
Reply to  Virtus
3 years ago

Actually there have been a lot of them lately. In addition to Thorpe, Hackett, Schmitt, Phelps and Pebley in swimming there is Naomi Osaka in tennis. She withdrew from Wimbledon. There is a real need for mental health programs in the respective athletic associations. Kudos to them for opening up about a subject that hasn’t been openly discussed in the past.

CACrushers
Reply to  Cate
3 years ago

Gastaldello is great about it too

M L
3 years ago

Trust me, Tom. Your relay gold will not be the only (or even the first) thing we remember about you. HS record in the 200 free? Taking NCAA underwaters up a notch. 2012 champ in Fly *and* Back? Tying MP’s 200 Fly AR. First man under :44 SCY? People who know will know.

Masters swimmer
Reply to  M L
3 years ago

Exactly. People who know swimming will always have big respect for Tom Shields. What he did at NCAAs over the years, etc. It is a shame that collegiate swims don’t get the recognition as swimming is overly olympics-centric.

ITSYABOI
Reply to  M L
3 years ago

I remember watching that 100 scy fly when he broke 44 and to this day it’s one of my favorite races i’ve seen from the deck.

Deep End
Reply to  M L
3 years ago

My favorite Beefy T moment was 2014 sweeping the Fly’s and beating Phelps in the 100 and proving himself in LCM!!!

Double National Champion in the hardest swimming country in the world and with MP in the mix?? Thats a huge accomplishment.

Who else has swept a stroke at nationals in the last 10 years for the men? Murph? Phelps? Kalisz in IM? Dressel/ Adrian (sprints), K Smith (mid d)? Who else?

M L
Reply to  M L
3 years ago

43.5 on the 2012 NCAA medley relay when the AR was a super-suited 44.18!

Sandra
3 years ago

Thanks for sharing this. The last 10 minutes👍🏼 Very thankful for this subject being brought up.

Cate
Reply to  Sandra
3 years ago

Amen. Don’t know why someone would downvote your comment

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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