Fordham swimmer Alexander Shah, FCRH ’25, represented Nepal in the 100-meter freestyle at the Paris Olympics this summer. As the singular representative in men’s swimming, Shah achieved a personal best and national record of 51.91 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle event. Shah has also recently announced that while he plans to continue swimming as a member of Fordham Men’s Swimming and Diving, he is retiring from international competition.
Tom Wilkens, coach of Fordham Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving and an Olympian himself, has coached Shah closely over the past year.
“When I started at Fordham, I was just amazed by the quality and character of all of the student-athletes here. Alex was definitely one of those athletes who were incredibly motivated, self-driven and purpose-driven towards the things he wanted to accomplish,” Wilkens said.
As a 2000 and 2002 Olympian, Wilkens was able to relate to and guide Shah through the Olympic and international process.
“Having had the ups and downs of the international career and knowing what that process is, from a training standpoint and just from a connection standpoint, we were able to really connect,” Wilkens said. “But to be fair, it’s all on Alex. I feel like someone who was just able to be a contributing partner to his success.”
In order to compete in the Olympics, Shah has had to keep up a rigorous training and competition schedule over the last school year. Wilkens noted that the Atlantic 10 conferences were an especially busy time for Shah as he attended his Olympic qualifying races in the same timeframe.
“Three weeks before our conference championship at the A-10s, he actually had to go over to Qatar, to the world championships, and swim. He went over there and won the best time, had a lot of success and basically swam fast enough to prove that he was the top swimmer from Nepal, and that qualified him for the Olympics.”
Despite worries about the rigor of his training and schedule, Shah has excelled in both efforts. Shah placed 59th in the 100-meter freestyle event, setting both a national and personal record.
“I was a little bit nervous, because that kind of rigor and that kind of travel really can take a toll on you,” said Wilkens. “But I was really amazed by the success he had, not only at World Championships, but then coming back and getting right back in the team again, being a team leader, being a team captain — really being a huge part of the success our team had at the A-10s last year.”
“I think it’s a great combination of optimism and accountability in the way he trains,” he added.
Shah is the co-captain of the Fordham men’s swimming and diving team. Wilkens describes Shah as a key asset in developing team tradition and unity.
“He not only leads by the things he says and the way he mentors people, but also leads by example — by the way he trains and the way he approaches things.”
As his coach, Wilkens describes Shah as a competitive swimmer and a joy to watch during races.
“Whenever he walks out to a block, I just smile. I love the way he approaches his races, he has a smile on his face, he loves to compete and enjoys it — which is a thrill, as a coach, to see.”
