While the biblical Shadrach walked through a blazing fire unscathed, swimming comes as naturally to Simon Shadrack as breathing. The 18‑year‑old began swimming at age ten and has never looked back in his quest to become an Olympian. Hailing from Ondo State but residing in Lagos, Shadrack told Sports Extra how he fell in love with the sport and how many of his friends also shared his passion. “I started swimming in 2015. I fell in love with the sport quite easily; most of my friends also swim, and I like swimming as a profession,” he said.
When Shadrack decided to compete, he sought out a local coach who recognized his potential. “There was a coach training people in my area; I told him I was interested in swimming. After testing some kids my age, he picked me, saying I had the right attributes for a good swimmer. That was when my swimming career began.” He admitted that learning to swim was initially difficult, but persistence paid off. “It took about two years before everything that was hard became easy,” he explained.
Coming from a family that loves swimming made the transition smoother. “All my family members—my father, my mother, even my older brothers—were swimmers, so they always supported me when I developed an interest in the sport back in 2015,” Shadrack said. Like many top Nigerian athletes, he was baptized and won his first gold medal at the National Youth Games. “I have competed in more than 15 events and won many medals, but the most memorable is the gold I won in Ilorin at the National Youth Games in 2021, representing Delta State,” he recalled.
Shadrack also spoke about his experience at the 21st National Sports Festival in Asaba in December 2022, where he represented Akwa Ibom State. “It was my first festival and I won a bronze medal, which made me very happy. The experience was amazing; I got to use the facilities there. I never imagined winning a medal because many athletes had better equipment or trained abroad. To outperform some of them was amazing for me.” Although many would assume his happiest moment was the 2021 gold medal, he chose the Asaba festival as his top memory. “Learning that I was selected to represent Akwa Ibom at the National Sports Festival was my happiest moment. I didn’t believe I would be selected or win a medal; I never expected it,” he admitted.
The journey has not always been smooth. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, Shadrack considered quitting. “Three years ago, I was selected for a festival in Edo, but after the lockdown I couldn’t make the team. I felt like giving up because that was the moment I was supposed to rise. My coach encouraged me to keep going, and I’m glad I didn’t quit.”
Now, Shadrack aims to upgrade his bronze to gold at the next festival and ultimately compete in the Olympics, following in his coach’s footsteps. “I want swimming to open doors for me. First, I want to win gold at the next festival so I can support myself with the rewards. Then I’ll focus on the Olympics,” he said. His coach, Yellow Yeiyah—who represented Nigeria at the 2008 Olympics—echoed his confidence: “Simon has the potential to be an Olympian as long as he keeps putting in the work. He won a bronze in his first festival appearance, he is still very young, and can only keep going up from here.”
Comments are closed for this story.