Jack's journey from doping nightmare to Olympic dream

"I had my beautiful great Dane, Hugo, and he was a reason I got out of bed," the swimmer said.

"And I would be proud of myself just for that. I had a reason to get up.

"It might not be the biggest feat but on that day it was everything because I achieved getting out of bed."

Jack's path to the Olympic pool in Paris hit rock bottom when suspended for doping.

Five years ago, the Brisbane-born freestyler's life turned on positive tests to the banned substance ligandrol ahead of the July, 2019 world championships.

Jack's initial four-year ban was reduced to two on appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport which found she didn't knowingly ingest the substance.

The two years had dark days.

"For me, I kept trying to be this person that was happy and always strong," she said.

"And I thought to myself: No, I don't have to always be strong.

"I can be completely authentic and honest and show that emotion that I was going through hell. I was going through hell."

Jack, who always maintained innocence, sank low before realising: "It's OK to not be OK."

"I have gone through my mental health challenges," she said.

"It was a learning curve. It's something that I have to continually work at.

"I used to see a psychiatrist when I really was at my lowest and really needed that professional help to actually understand what I was going through and why.

"Now I see a psychologist just to make sure I am staying on top of myself."

Jack's partner, family and friends rallied; her coach Dean Boxall turned counsellor.

"Dean is family to me," she said.

"After everything that we have been through, that man is the person who would enter my thoughts at two in the morning.

"When I was crying, didn't know what to do, didn't have a reason to get up each day, he was the man that said: 'Shayna, get your ass off the couch and get to the pool, just get in the water, remember why you swim, remember why you love it'."

Motivation returned, and with Paris in mind, Boxall and Jack plotted the comeback.

"Having two years off, I had to be really careful with my comeback," Jack said.

"I didn't want to come back and then have injury after injury, I really wanted to make sure I got my body in the best position possible.

"That was the process, talking about where do we prioritise.

"And it was that sprint front-end work and then just try and build up that muscle and that endurance."

When Jack's ban expired and she nervously returned to elite swimming, Boxall was beside her.

"He waited for me outside, and he walked in with me," she said.

"And he said: 'Let's go do this, let's prove they were wrong, they made a mistake and that I am stronger than ever because of it'."

In May 2022, an emotional Jack broke down poolside in Adelaide when earning selection on Australia's team for the world championships.

At the worlds in Budapest in June, she won gold and silver in relays but before her individual swims, slipped at a warm-up pool and broke a hand - and her heart, again.

"She trained on her own for two years," Swimming Australia head coach Rohan Taylor said.

"She had to do everything on her own - and not knowing what was going to happen.

"And that two year period, for someone to be able to just stay the course.

"Then, she comes back in Budapest and breaks her hand, has to go through that ..."

Jack returned again, collecting more medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 world championships in Japan.

All while eyeing the biggest picture: the Paris Olympics.

At Australia's selection trials, the 25-year-old secured coveted individual swims in the 50m and 100m freestyle and she'll also be a key plank in Australia's 4x100m and 4x200 freestyle relay teams in Paris.

"I don't think anyone who is involved in swimming would say they don't want to win an Olympic gold medal," Jack said.

"For me, it's definitely my goal.

"But in all honesty, I want to enjoy the journey ... this is my first chance to go and represent my country at the Olympics.

"And I'm going to enjoy every moment, soak in every bit of the atmosphere and who knows what I can do?

"My dreams and goals continue to expand and reach something that I have never done before ... I am not done yet."

Australian Associated Press