Rarely does the world’s greatest sporting event turn into a family affair. But that’s exactly what has happened for the Shackell family in the Paris Olympics. First, there’s the 17-year-old Alex Shackell, who is about to compete in women’s 200m butterfly. And then there’s her older brother, Aaron Shackell who took part in men’s 400 m freestyle. That raises an important question – just what makes this family so talented?

Though the Olympics has seen multiple siblings participate together, even this year five other sibling pairs are participating, there’s something different about the Shackells. It isn’t just that the brother-sister duo is in the Olympics but the fact they aren’t the first Shackell to stand on the grandest stage of them all. Their history with the Olympics runs deep and so naturally, that makes it all the more important to explore their story.

Meet the Olympic swimming siblings, Alex and Aaron Shackell

Living in Carmel, Indiana, Alex and Aaron Shackell had only one dream – to be an Olympian. This dream pushed them on and made them work extra hard. Aaron (19) realized that the best way for him to train was to join the University of Texas. And so he did. However, despite focusing on studies the 19-year-old has always known his destination.

Aaron revealed that he wanted to be an Olympian since kindergarten. However, the journey wasn’t so straightforward. “It wasn’t always easy. For a long time, I wasn’t very good at swimming, and I honestly didn’t like it until a few years ago,” Aaron Shackell said. That is a surprising admission from a man who has just now represented the United States in the Olympics. Unfortunately for Shackell, he couldn’t win a medal this time. The talented swimmer came 8th in the finals. However, unlike before, now a love for swimming lives within him. But one can understand why it took so long.

After all, swimming is a tough sport and requires excessive hard work. Falling in love with it immediately might be a tough task. As for Alex Shackell, she too had a similar goal since her childhood – to be an Olympian. But that raises an important question – how did two siblings get the same dream? Perhaps the answer lies with their father.

Not just Alex and Aaron, the Shackell family has yet another Olympian

Alex and Aaron’s father Nicholas Shackell too is an Olympian. The father participated in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. As an Olympian, Nicholas took part in 100m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay. However, while he represented England, his children are going to be there as part of the United States team. But then, here’s another interesting point – the family isn’t satisfied with three Olympians, they want more.

Alex Shackell has a twin brother, Andrew. Interestingly, he too is said to be a fierce competitor and could rise soon. And if that happens, there might be a situation where we’ll see all three of the Shackell standing at an Olympics event. What a sight that would be. But until then it’s Aaron and Alex Shackell’s moment to shine and they look like they’re ready for the challenge. 

As Alex Shackell said to Indy Star, this moment was years in the making. “You have to put in the world, you have to go to practice, you have to eat right, you have to go to bed on time and it’s every single day. It’s a lot, but the sacrifices to have that moment of glory is so worth it,” Shackell said. It certainly is, but those sacrifices also increase one’s pressure. Can these two siblings overcome the tense atmosphere? Only time can tell.