Gold medalists Shayna Jack, Bronte Campbell, Emma Mckeon and Cate Campbell of Australia pose during the medal ceremony for the Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final on day one of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games
Banned Australian swimmer Shayna Jack has turned to GoFundMe to keep fighting a doping ban that has already ‘depleted life savings’ of $130,000.
The 22-year-old last week revealed she was struggling mentally and financially, even weighing up whether to concede her fight and retire.
Jack has now decided to keep at it, asking Australians to help fund her defence against an appeal that could see her ban returned to its original length of four years.
Sport Integrity Australia is appealing the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s November decision to slash Jack’s ban from four years to two.
Jack was initially banned after testing positive to Ligandrol on June 26 last year, almost three weeks before the world swim titles in South Korea.
The Queenslander appealed her ban to CAS, which reduced her suspension after finding she did not knowingly ingest the banned substance.
SIA, the successor to ASADA, then opted to appeal the CAS decision based on a need for clarity regarding anti-doping legal principles.
Ahead of her next hearing, Jack has asked fans to “please help me finish my fight” by donating to her GoFundMe.
Nearly $5000 has been raised at the time of writing.
“It breaks my heart every day that I can’t be in the pool with my squad mates,” she said, speaking through tears.
“It breaks my heart every day that I’m up against these people in which I feel are constantly kicking me down. It breaks my heart every day that I can never win.
“I’d like to ask for your help in order to keep fighting. I don’t have the funds and nor does my family and if I don’t fight I can potentially get the maximum ban because I couldn’t stand up for myself in my next appeal.”
Jack asked for people to donate “small amounts”.
One anonymous donation for $1000 and three $500 contributions top a list that largely features $10, $50 and $100 spots.
ack’s desire to return to the pool appeared to be waning when she said last week she was “mentally exhausted”.
“I know many of you have viewed or heard from me in a positive light and I have always tried to see the good in tough situations or challenges. But enough is enough,” Jack wrote.
“I have been fighting tirelessly for myself every hour of each day for over 18 months now and I am mentally exhausted.
“Getting a deduction from 4 years to 2 years was a weight off my shoulders, finally I could focus on my swimming again and get back to what I love more than anything. Then comes the bombshell.
“Some of you may know but many of you won’t realise that SIA and WADA appealed the decision handed down by an arbitrator who has been in practice for more than 40 years, back in November last year.
“I am hurting. I am struggling. And more than that, I am scared that as much as I fight and as much as I throw money into this fight, I will always lose up against these authorities.
“I have absorbed the burden of losing over 130k since this drug accusation began. And now they want more? How much more can these people continue to take from me?
“I love swimming and competing for my country, but I honestly don’t know if this is all worth it anymore.
“That is the saddest part about all this. Knowing I am innocent of ever taking a prohibited substance intentionally and that this process could potentially be the reason I no longer want to be Shayna Jack the swimmer.
“If you were in a work place that didn’t want you, didn’t treat you the way you deserve, and questioned who you are, would you stay?
“I know my worth, and no one in this world deserves to be treated the way I have been treated. I deserve better than this and I’m not going to sit around pretending that I’m okay because I’m not and I hope you all think that is okay too.”
Why the ban was halved
CAS on November 24 published its full decision in Jack’s appeal, noting the swimmer suggested three possible sources for her positive test.
Jack told CAS one possibility was supplements she was taking were contaminated at manufacturing.
Another possibility was the supplements were contaminated by being prepared or mixed in a blender which may have been used by her partner or brothers which, in turn, might have been contaminated or have contained Ligandrol.
A third possibility was Jack may have come into contact with the Ligandrol or ingested it as a result of using pool and/or gym open to the public in Townsville or Cairns while training in May and June last year for the world championships.
CAS, in its ruling, said Jack “candidly admitted that she did not know how the prohibited substance came to be in her system”.
“She offered the possibilities … as the only possibilities she could think of,” the CAS ruling said.
“There is simply no evidence … that any of these speculative possibilities was in fact the reason for the presence of the prohibited substance in her system.”
CAS’s sole arbitrator for the appeal was Sydney QC Alan Sullivan, who described Jack as a wholly credible witness.
“She appeared to be completely straightforward, genuine and honest in the answers she gave,” the CAS ruling said.
“Her dismay and upset at the situation she found herself was evident The applicant (Jack) did not come across … as someone who would intentionally cheat by deliberately taking a prohibited substance.”
7Sport with AAP
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