A Maryland swimmer is getting ready for his second Paralympics.
Zach Shattuck from Carroll County was born with dwarfism. He didn’t join a swim team until college, but he quickly started racking up medals at international competitions.
“To have the opportunity to receive a cap with your name on it and the flag on it and be like, ‘Oh I did that, that’s me now,’ and that’s pretty cool,” Shattuck said.
Growing up, he loved playing sports but sometimes faced mean comments from other kids.
“As a kid, it definitely bothers me, but I think it was something that created sort of like a shield almost over time,” Shattuck said. “Whatever people said to me, it was like just let it roll off your back and go show ‘em what you can do on the field or in the pool.”
Shattuck has certainly done that.
He was an alternate to the Paralympics in Rio and won a bronze at the World Championships in 2017. He also competed in five events at the Paralympics in Tokyo but fell short of the podium.
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“I knew I wasn’t satisfied with how Tokyo went, so I was really kind of eager to see what I could do with my training, what I could do with a different style and approach,” Shattuck said.
He’s also been advocating for his fellow athletes with dwarfism. Shattuck says currently they’re not eligible to compete in winter Paralympic sports.
“There’s only a limited selection for even the summer paralympic games, but to have none is crazy in my mind,” he said.
A Paralympian pushing for change as he heads to Paris to go for gold.
“I’ve had a lot of fun,” Shattuck said. “And I’m just really trying to enjoy the process and can’t really believe that I’m getting to do this again.”
Correction (Aug. 20, 2024, 9:25 a.m.): This story has been updated to reflect the number of Paralympic events Zach Shattuck previously participated in. It was five, not six.
