The Olympic Games are the ultimate goal in any amateur sport. Only three Michigan women's swimmers have represented their native countries at the prestigious event. Sophomore Shannon Shakespeare is the most recent Wolverine to accomplish this feat.
Besides the Olympic Games, Shakespeare has other international experience. The quadrennial World Championships, the second-most important meet in international swimming, is the latest addition to Shakespeare's impressive resume.
Last week, the World Championships were held in Perth, Australia. Shakespeare, swimming for her native Canada, was the only Michigan swimmer entered in the meet. Shakespeare put on an impressive performance in the tournament, placing 10th in the 100
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| MARGARET MYERS/Daily Seven-time All-American Shannon Shakespeare has five Big Ten titles to go along with her impressive international resumé - a resumé she'll try to expand at the 2000 Olympics. |
"I did pretty well in the meet," Shakespeare said. "It was a great experience for me to compete on such a level. I definitely improved and that was a good feeling.
"The Worlds are generally faster than the Olympics, so it was very tough competition. It was really neat because there were 120 countries there. It was a fun and different environment because you weren't just swimming against people from one country."
For Shakespeare, the Olympics and the World Championships are a dream come true - a dream that has been a long time in the making.
Shakespeare, a Winnipeg, Manitoba native, began swimming competitively at age four, with her father coaching her along.
"I watched my brother swim when I was really young, and fell completely in love with the water," Shakespeare said.
Motivation, work ethic and raw talent distinguish world-class athletes. But Shakespeare is in a class of her own, according to Michigan women's swimming coach Jim Richardson.
"She's one of the most unique world-class athletes I have ever met," Richardson said. "Shannon is a very, very gifted swimmer, but she's very humble, unassuming and compassionate. If you were to meet her, I don't think you'd ever get the impression that she is a world-class athlete."
The sacrifices Shakespeare makes to compete internationally are evident in her winter training schedule: She spent a rigorous winter break training session with the Michigan swimming team in Hawaii and 23 days in Australia with the Canadian national team prior to the World Championships.
Shakespeare credits her motivation to a true love for the sport. She also credits her brother for being her inspiration.
"I used to watch my brother swim ... and he swam all through high school and college," Shakespeare said. "While he never competed much on the international level, he always swam with heart and drive. He's now my biggest supporter."
She said she also credits Michigan's team atmosphere, which she says makes swimming fun, to fueling her drive. Shakespeare said she enjoys the NCAA competition because it is similar to what she experiences on the international level; many international Olympians swim for college teams.
In the future, Shakespeare dreams of returning to Australia for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. In the meantime, she's looking forward to swimming for Michigan for the next 2 1/2 years.
"I think she contributes a great team attitude; she's willing to do whatever is best for the team by swimming a variety of events," said Richardson. "You couldn't ask for any more."
Shakespeare said she couldn't have asked for any more than what she has gotten out of her swimming experiences.
"I just really like the fact that through swimming I have grown as a person," Shakespeare said. "You learn a lot about yourself, and it's a great way to find out who you are and explore other cultures.
"But above all it allowed me to find my place."
Captain -1997 Canadian Pan-Pacific Championship
01-23-98
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