“I don’t take risks – I like control.”
Those were the words of two-time Olympic gold medalist and former Greenbank student Shayna Jack, spoken not long before she was trapped in crocodile infested waters.
The champion swimmer is right now in the South African jungle, competing in daring and frightening challenges as part of the Network 10 series I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
Heights, tight spaces, cockroaches, rats, snakes – Ms Jack is facing all her fears in the jungle.
“I am just afraid of being uncomfortable and this whole experience is red flags when it comes to risks… so what am I doing here,” she said.
On the first episode of the show, which aired last month, Ms Jack’s team was tasked with traversing tight underground tunnels – filled with creepy crawlies and dank water – to search for a star-shaped block that they could exchange for a meal.
Hundreds of cockroaches were poured onto the team members, which included the likes of comedian Geraldine Hickey and former AFL player Zach Tuohy.
But as team leader, Ms Jack faced a challenge other members of her team didn’t.
While in the tunnels, she was dropped into water infested with juvenile nile crocodiles – her biggest fear.
One crocodile was dropped onto her.
Following many screams and tears shed, as well as advice from crocodile expert and show host Robert Irwin, Ms Jack faced her fear and found her star, which was hidden among dozens of crabs.
“Remember, crocodiles are mostly based on vibrations, so go in there with nice, calm, purposeful movements, and you’re gonna be ok,” Robert told her.
On a later episode, Ms Jack spoke frankly about one of the biggest obstacles of her life, which occured back home in Australia.
In 2019, she tested positive for a banned substance, Ligandrol, and was banned from competing for two years.
While the The Court of Arbitration for Sport found Ms Jack ingested the substance accidentally, the ban caused her to miss the Tokyo Olympics.
But she came back swinging, and in 2022, won Gold, Silver, and Bronze at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
At the the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won gold medals in the Women’s 4×100m freestyle relay and Women’s 4×200m freestyle relay.
Robert Irwin described her achievements as “one of sports great comeback stories”.
Ms Jack spoke of the negative impacts the controversy had on her mental health.
She said she spent $180,000 fighting the court’s decision.
“When I first started the process, I was really optimistic because I believed in the process,” she said.
“I was very naive.
“The kind of role model I wanted to be, it completely destroyed that at the time.”
She said opening up to those around her enabled her to face those difficulties head-on.
“… and stop giving it so much power.
“Because I feel like the more I take it off my chest, the more I can move on with my life and not feel this huge aspect of my life pulling me back.
“I am so much stronger for everything I have gone through.”
You can watch Shayna Jack every on every Sunday at 7pm, and Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm.
