LARAMIE, Wyo. — The University of Wyoming’s very own Jack O’Neil is set to compete in the 2024 Paris Paralympics in just a few days. Before he enters the pool for his 100-meter backstroke race Aug. 31, he reflected on the experiences in Wyoming and in his life that shaped him into an athlete ready to represent his country on the global stage.
Staring out at the skyline of the Olympic Village and the rest of Paris as the sun set eight hours ahead of the rest of his friends and teammates in Laramie, O’Neil said he gets goosebumps thinking about the scale of this competition.
“I’ve been doing this sport since I was 5 years old,” he said. “For 16 years I’ve been doing this sport, and I don’t think I’ve competed in front of more than — until last November — more than 200 people max. To do something this big and impactful is crazy. It’s awesome.”
What it means to wear stars and stripes
Reflecting on the years he’s been in college at the University of Wyoming and competing for not only himself but also his school and country, O’Neil said he’s adopted the attitudes and mindsets of those he represents. Nothing has been a gimme for O’Neil, especially since having his leg amputated 12 years ago, but an indomitable spirit paired with American pride and Wyoming ethics has turned the Colorado native into an elite athlete.
“It’s amazing because we get here and everybody in the Team USA building thinks the exact same way: We are number one,” O’Neil said. “We’re going to show that every day in competition. Wearing the USA cap is super important to me. It’s something that I’ve dreamed of when I found out about the Paralympics shortly after having my leg amputated.”
Out of all the Americans cheering on the Stars and Stripes at home, there is a special group that O’Neil is proud to represent. While O’Neil continues to grow as a disabled athlete, he wants to make sure he carries the entire disabled community with him — something he and his mother call “lifting as you climb.”
“You never know who’s watching. You never know who’s going to see your race. Someone might [direct message] you and ask you, ‘I just had my leg amputated and I’m really struggling. Do you have any tips?,’” O’Neil said. “It’s super important to me to make sure that I’m available, open and representing myself in the best way possible so that I can hopefully lift up somebody else I find.”
As a disabled swimmer, he sees the water as a form of therapy, both physical and emotional. He began swimming as a way to work his spine and ribs and make sure he is breathing correctly. Now, his dedication to overcoming all odds and physical barriers brought him to the greatest competition in the world for disabled athletes, where he said it’s been amazing meeting all of his fellow competitors who have likewise found a deep relationship with their sport.
“Living with a disability is so different in that you get these incredible stories that you don’t get with able-bodied athletes. Everybody here has a deeper meaning to why they do sports,” O’Neil said.
That’s also what makes seeing the yearly growth of the Paralympics as an event so meaningful. Even though this is his first Paralympics, O’Neil has met fellow competitors who hadn’t before experienced the level of resources and attention that is flowing into the Olympic Village right now. At the end of the day, they’re there to win it all.
“We want to show the world that yes, we are disabled athletes, but at the end of the day we just want to be athletes. We want to go out and compete at the highest level. If we inspire somebody, that’s awesome, but when we’re here, we are 100% business,” O’Neil said. “We’re looking to get things done, win medals and compete at the highest level. That’s what we all really strive for.”
Doing it for the team
It’s been a challenging year for athletics at the University of Wyoming and, in particular, in the swimming and diving program. On Feb. 22, about 10 miles south of the Wyoming–Colorado border along Highway 287, three members of the UW swimming and diving team — Carson Muir, Luke Slabber and Charlie Clark — lost their lives in a single-vehicle crash. The sudden loss of the three athletes left a deep hole in the team and ended the season on a tragic note.
O’Neil said he is pleased to return to UW after the competition as a team captain and help lead the program in a positive direction. Competing takes a different meaning when you know you’ve always got friends there with you cheering you on, he said.
“Every single day and every time I’m in the pool, I’m looking up and thankful that they’re looking down on me and with me through every race and every practice. I know they’ll be with me on the 31 when I’m racing,” O’Neil said.
A week after they passed, the UW swimming and diving team competed. O’Neil reiterated that sports are therapy and the entire team was glad that they went and competed. Through competition they went through the motions of grief together, and O’Neil is excited for another season of doing it together.
Going for gold
Until then, O’Neil is continuing to prepare for his competition on Aug. 31 starting at 10 a.m. Parisian time. Years of training for 20-plus hours a week, all the pounds of muscle earned and all the blood, sweat and tears shed have led to this. He’s ready.
“I’m swimming for something bigger than myself. My performance has more implications for the people around me than it does for myself and that’s something that I don’t take lightly. It’s something that I’ve learned a lot over the last three years and I’m super excited to be using in Paris,” he said.
