Jack Alexy still remembers watching swimming at the 2012 London Olympics from his family's Mendham home.
All four Alexy siblings – Kate, Max, Jack and Rob – were swimmers, growing from "Mom and Tot" classes through tadpoles, minnows, and all the other levels at Somerset Hills YMCA in Basking Ridge. Jack was about 8½, already earning medals.
But as he watched USA's Missy Franklin break the world record in the 200-meter backstroke in London, and Nathan Adrian win an epic 100-meter freestyle by a hundredth of a second, a dream was born.
Twelve years later, Alexy is just a step away from fulfilling it at this year's Summer Games in Paris.
The Delbarton grad qualified last month to represent the United States in the 100 free and as part of the 4x100 freestyle relay.
"As a swimmer, every kid has that dream," he said. "I'm grateful to be in the position where I can achieve that dream."
A 6-foot-8 rising senior at Cal-Berkeley, Alexy came into USA Swimming's Olympic Trials in Indianapolis as the top seed in the 100 free. He finished first in the June 18 prelims in 47.08 seconds, the second-fastest time in the world this season. He finished second in the 100 free final in 47.47, nine hundredths of a second out of first place.
After qualifying for Paris, Alexy said, "It felt surreal for a few days. I put so much hard work into this. It's a dream come true. The feeling is just relieved. I wouldn't say I was expecting myself to make the team. I knew I could do it if I swam to my potential. I'm glad that I did that in the moment that it counts."
USA Swimming's 'Jersey Boys' train together
Just before walking onto the deck for his final, Alexy had watched Matt Fallon, a longtime YMCA teammate, win the 200-meter breaststroke "by literally two body lengths" to qualify for Team USA. Alexy thought, "I can't mess this up now."
He and Fallon were swimming teammates at SHY (now Greater Somerset County YMCA) from when they were 8 years old until middle school, when Fallon moved to the Somerset Valley Y. Those two teams merged, bringing them back together as high school seniors.
Both were part of the "Jersey Boys" contingent at last year's world championships in Japan.
There were seven Garden State swimmers at worlds, more than from any other state. Just three – Alexy, Fallon, and Nic Fink of Morristown – qualified to compete at this year's Olympics. Fallon and Fink are also connected as Pingry School alumni and Team USA breaststrokers.
"It is pretty crazy, but he's always been good," Fallon said of Alexy. "He seemed destined to do great things. I'm not surprised."
2024 Olympics schedule
Alexy, Fallon and Fink joined their U.S. teammates in Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday for a week-long domestic training camp. Team USA was scheduled next to head to Croatia for two weeks, to acclimate to European time before arriving in Paris.
Olympic events begin on July 24, with the Opening Ceremony two days later. Swimming begins on July 27. The first day's program includes the freestyle relay preliminary heats in the morning and the final at night, Paris time.
"For the past year, this has been the main goal I've been working toward: making this team and having success in Paris," said Alexy, who swam with his brothers at Delbarton and still has his younger sibling, Rob, as a Cal teammate.
Jack Alexy's path to Paris Olympics
The Alexys grew up swimming at the Bernardsville Municipal Pool during the summer. Kate and Max, the two eldest, were already part of the swim team. But Jack and Rob had to pass a swim test to be allowed in the water.
Matt Alexy, their father, recalled when Jack and Rob jumped into the pool, raced each other to one end, did a flip turn, and came back. They asked the lifeguard, "Is that OK?"
Three of the four Alexys won NJSIAA Meet of Champions titles during high school.
As a senior in 2017, Kate Alexy swam backstroke on Mendham's medley relay, which finished in a first-place tie with Scotch Plains. The following year, Jack won the 50 free and 100 back as a Delbarton freshman. He also won the 50 and 100 free in 2020, his junior season.
In 2022, Rob Alexy, the youngest and now a rising sophomore at Cal-Berkeley, won the 100 free as a Delbarton junior.
"That's something Jack does. He'll say something that seems crazy, and he'll do it," said Kate Alexy, 25, a veterinary student at Cornell University who watched her brother qualify for the Olympics via livestream from Campo Grande, Brazil, where she is tracking wild giant anteaters.
"He believes he can do it, and he has the support system and the work ethic to get him there, which I think makes him very special."
A choppy start to college career
Still, Jack Alexy questioned himself during his freshman season at Cal. The transition to college was challenging, as was balancing training with a rigorous academic schedule studying political economics, he said.
Alexy was part of Cal's second-place 200 free relay and third-place 400 free relay at the NCAA Championships in 2022, but scored no points as an individual as the team won the overall title. That summer, his swim times worsened.
Alexy went back to Berkeley for his sophomore year with a new fire, asking, "What do I have to do to make sure I don't fall short of my goals?"
At the NCAA Championships, he scored 30 points and earned All-America honors in five events as Cal defended its team title.
Alexy made his Team USA debut at worlds in 2023. He was part of the record-setting U.S. 4x100 medley relay – which also included Fink on breaststroke – bringing home five total medals. This season, Alexy was part of Cal's national champion 800 free relay and was a seven-time All-American.
"I knew that was, for lack of a better word, my rookie season. 2024 is what really matters," Alexy said. "That goal is in progress right now: making the Olympic podium, winning an Olympic gold medal. I'm really happy. I'm truly living my dream right now."
Jane Havsy is a storyteller for the Daily Record and DailyRecord.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today.
Want to share your story with me?
Email: JHavsy@gannett.com Twitter/X: @dailyrecordspts
Most Popular
Comments / 0