The Ball, the Pool, and the Goldfish Rule

For most of his childhood, Zach Shattuck never imagined himself in a pool chasing world records. He was all about balls, goals and games — his first word was “ball,” after all. Soccer was his world, and he poured himself into the sport through high school. Four years, two on varsity, and a lot of cleats later, he realized he wasn’t going to be taking the field at the college level. Still, the competitor in him needed an outlet.

That’s when swimming — almost by accident — entered the picture.

At a Little People of America conference, Shattuck jumped into a swim event mostly for fun and ended up winning two races. Other parents at the meet pulled his family aside and said, “Hey, you know there’s a whole Paralympic pathway for this?” Shattuck had always been fine in the water — he could splash around and stay afloat — but technique and speed were brand-new concepts. Suddenly, he had a reason to find out what he could really do.

When he got to Frostburg State University in western Maryland, Shattuck walked into the swim coach’s office and said he needed some pointers. The coach invited him to practice, and before long Shattuck was waking up early, learning stroke mechanics and figuring out how to swim fast.

“I think I was late to those first few practices because I didn’t like getting up that early,” he joked.

But the progress came fast. By the end of his freshman year, he had broken his first American record and was named the second alternate for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games. That taste of success lit the fire: if he could come this far this quickly, how much farther could he go?

He swam all through college, then stayed on deck as an assistant coach after graduation — training alongside his coach while also passing on what he had learned.

The Big Stage

Shattuck made his Paralympic debut at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in 2021. Reaching a final in his main event was a huge milestone, but the atmosphere was strange. No fans in the stands, no family there to cheer, and the strict COVID-19 bubble made it feel like something was missing.

So by the time Paris 2024 rolled around, he was ready for the real deal.

“This time it was surreal,” Shattuck said. “Walking into the stadium, seeing the fans, hearing the noise — it finally felt like the Games I had always pictured.” More than 20 of his family members were there to watch.

His first event, the 4x50-meter freestyle relay, was a nail-biter. Relay exchanges had to be perfect, especially swimming after a teammate without arms. “I had to pay super close attention, but we nailed it,” he said. Team USA touched for silver, and Shattuck had his first Paralympic medal.

“Everything finally happened,” he said. “I live for those moments — the lights, the show, the Games.”

He added a sixth-place finish in the 100-meter breaststroke and left Paris feeling like he had experienced the Paralympics to the fullest.

Goldfish Mindset

A fan of the TV show “Ted Lasso,” Shattuck likes to channel the team’s quirky motto: “Just be a goldfish.” To him, that means forget mistakes, don’t dwell on wins too long, and keep moving forward.

That mindset helped when he unexpectedly made the roster for the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore. He will race the 100-meter breaststroke and 50-meter butterfly, but once again, the relay is what excites him most.

Looking ahead to Los Angeles 2028, Shattuck is realistic about the grind of balancing training with real life. “It’s tough making ends meet as a full-time para swimmer,” he said. “I love the team and love the process, but I also have to balance the reality of life.” Still, one thing keeps him motivated: “I want to leave the sport better than when I entered, and I’m not sure I’ve done that yet.”

Kicking It Back to Soccer

Even with his success in the pool, Shattuck hasn’t forgotten his first love: soccer. In 2021 he co-founded the United States Dwarf Futbol Association to give people a chance to compete in the sport. The group has since brought more than 30 athletes to international events, and in 2025, U.S. Soccer granted the association official membership. Its first national camp will kick off in Orlando, Florida, this fall.

For Shattuck, it’s all about keeping adaptive sports in the spotlight. “The Olympics and Paralympics, it seems like we disappear for a few years in between the Games,” he said. “But there’s a lot of really cool stuff going on in the middle. With the Games coming to our own country, this is our opportunity to show who we are as America.”