Nepalese Olympian Alexander Gadegaard Shah, FCRH ’25, qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games following his personal-best performance in the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar this past February. The Fordham University men’s swimming and diving co-captain emerged as the event’s highest-scoring male competitor in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle. Paris 2024 marks the second Olympics in which Shah will represent his home nation in the 100-meter freestyle after his 2021 debut in the COVID-19-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Qualifying for Paris was surreal, and a huge relief,” Shah said, recalling his emotions after his Doha success. “Achieving it was more than satisfying, and difficult to put into words. Relieving in the first moment, but motivating the next.”
For the Thailand-born Shah, who lived in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu for much of his life, swimming didn’t always come easy, but with a little luck and a lot of hard work, Shah strengthened his abilities. “I didn’t really like swimming when I first started. Actually, I hated it.” He began swimming at 9 years old, and entered his first competitive meet at 13, when most Nepalese pools were still under 18 meters long and unheated to boot. Shah was influenced by his older sister Sofia, a professional Nepalese swimmer who set the aquatic footsteps her brother would follow in. “I looked up to her as an inspiration, something to motivate me… She made swimming appear fun.”
Shah’s first middle school victory was the 50-meter freestyle. “I remember being so nervous before, doubting myself, but being intimidated by the rest of the field. Somehow it changed when I dove in, and that confidence came back. From that day forward, I remember the most satisfying feeling I repeatedly received from this sport,” said Shah. As Shah became older and better, he realized the fun and friends swimming gave him.
At the Lincoln School in Kathmandu, Shah served as the swim team’s MVP and captain, setting numerous school and national records. He joined the Nepal swim team, with whom he became a wild card qualifier — and one of five Nepalese Olympians — at the Tokyo Olympics delayed until July 2021. Shah was a co-flag-bearer with fellow swimmer Gaurika Singh in the Opening Ceremony and went on to win his 100-meter freestyle heat. “COVID[-19] played a huge role in Tokyo, though my experience was one of a lifetime,” said Shah. “Oftentimes I look back, and hardly can believe that I experienced what I did.”
Shah was attracted to Fordham because of its smaller size, geographic location and rank in the mid-major Division I program. “New York was a place I’d dreamt of visiting, let alone living in,” he said. “From what I learned about the alumni network and grad programs, Fordham seemed nothing short of ideal.”
Shah studies psychology at Fordham and focuses on mental health, which helped him realize that entering Fordham right after the Olympics was nerve-wracking. “I knew expectations would be in place, not just from others, but from myself, and fought with myself constantly to ensure I had an identity and character outside of being an Olympian. I’m not as stressed about it as I used to be due to the support and relationships with the team I’ve built and am thankful for here.” Shah schedules the rest of his daily life around training: a routine balance of 20 hours of swimming and four weightlifting sessions per week, often early before morning classes.
In Paris, Shah will be one of 10 Nepalese athletes, and the only swimmer to date. He’ll swim the 100-meter freestyle, which he declares his highest-scoring race for providing more room for error and strategy. “It’s always been my best event — the progress I’ve made this year has led me to love it further. The stress on my shoulders affected me daily, but also motivated me a great amount,” Shah said regarding setting his sights on Paris in the run-up to Doha. “Each time I trained, ate or slept was driven by this goal. I’m ecstatic to be able to experience the same event in a completely different setting and appreciate the opportunities I’m provided.” Only after the Olympics end will he go sightseeing.
“I’ve grown up with the Olympics and am a huge fan of it. For many sports, it’s a great spotlight to increase global interest and awareness.” Shah recalled researching the history of the Olympics and their significance to world unity amid international turmoil. “It’s possible to view the games as time to take focus off of conflicts temporarily, where we can enjoy the historically competitive spirit of humans in a variety of disciplines. Nothing beats finding common ground and interest. The Olympics’ entertainment is nothing short of relevant for that.”
Shah says he’s honored to represent Fordham and wants his peers to help him and themselves. “I hope Fordham can develop a program that is consistently top of our conference.” He values the self-care, time management, discipline, ethics and sacrifice he learned from a sport he calls demanding in and out of the water. “Thriving from pressure is my favorite form of self-gratification. Swimming’s mental strain and social losses can be depressing, but drive the notion of wanting to succeed and be better. In the grand scheme of things, it’s worth it. Swimming at Fordham and in the U.S. has shown me a tremendous amount about swimming, and also myself within the sport in ways I’d never guess, all for the better.”
