Olympian Shayna Jack warns of ‘vicious cycle’ after surviving doping scandal

Even in the darkest days of her public doping scandal, Aussie swimming golden girl Shayna Jack refused to use alcohol as a crutch. It’s her mission now to ensure the next generation don’t either. The 27-year-old dual Olympic gold medallist was hit with a two-year doping ban after returning a positive test for Ligandrol in 2019 that not only forced her to sit out the Tokyo Games but deal with the nightmarish fallout under intense public scrutiny. Jack’s postive test was ultimately found to be unintentional. “I’ve obviously gone through personal experiences that have tested my ability to handle public scrutiny and ability to potentially go through mental health challenges,” Jack told NewsWire. During this time it would have been easy to turn to drinking, as many young people do to cope with high stress and anxiety, but instead Jack found another way. “My relationship with alcohol didn’t change (during the doping ban) because I had a strong support network,” she said. “It was my fiance, my coach, my family who were all around me to ensure that I wasn’t doing the wrong thing based on my mentality and making those decisions that could make things worse for me.” She completed her road to redemption at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where she claimed two gold medals. Now in partnership with DrinkWise, Jack is helping other young adults avoid the “vicious cycle” of stress drinking as part of the Never Have I Ever campaign. DrinkWise data reveals 72 per cent of females aged 18 to 24 report feeling stressed often or all the time, with nearly half saying they use alcohol as a way to cope. “There is a high that you may feel and people want to feel from alcohol,” Jack said. “But in the end, it can actually be a vicious cycle, which causes more ramifications for your mental health. “That’s why I really wanted to work with the Never Have I Ever campaign, to push people to seek help, get those support networks, make those right decisions for themselves and to not spiral down a path of making wrong decisions.” Health expert Andrew Rochford warned using alcohol to deal with stress can exacerbate issues, and recognising when it has become a coping tool is an important step. “Using alcohol as a way to cope with stress and anxiety could actually make the situation worse by interfering with sleep, mood and overall mental wellbeing,” he said. “Sometimes we need a nudge to realise that we need help. These prompts are designed to make that first conversation safer, kinder and more likely to lead to real support.” After achieving her dream of Olympic gold at the Paris games, Jack said she was motivated by her impact on the next generation as she tears into training ahead of the national championships and Glasgow Commonwealth Games. “When I was growing up, I looked up to people like Libby Trickett,” Jack said. “So for me staying motivated comes down to the next generation looking up to someone like me. “As an elite athlete, a lot of us aim for perfectionism that’s not always possible. “When I got to a stage in life where I realised that I don’t have to be perfect and it’s OK that I’m not OK, it allowed me to take those steps forward to help others. “I always educate people and want to promote them to speak up. It could be going to a teacher, a coach, or a friend. The Never Have I Ever campaign, which is also partnered with ReachOut, is rolling out nationally across social media, liquor venues, music streaming and content creator partnerships.