Leah Shackley Send Off Party

It’s not every day that a community gets to send off one of their own to compete in the Olympic Trials. That’s just what happened at the Blair Regional YMCA on Thursday June 13.

Bedford County native Leah Shackley made the trip to Indianapolis to compete. However, before her journey began, she was given a send off party at the Y.

“I could not have done any of this without you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, “ Shackley said to the crowd, which consisted of dozens of well-wishers that have shown support over the years.

She said that words can not describe how excited she is.

“I cannot wait to walk on to that pool deck and see that pool – It is going to be so pretty,” Shackley said. “It will be so surreal.”

Many young kids were there to wish her luck, waving signs. They gathered around her, wanting to take a selfie with the swimmer.

“I have never experienced something like this before. I thought it was great. The kids were so energetic,” Shackley said.

“It (the excitement) is pretty cool — it’s a little nerve wracking, but it is really exciting,” her coach Tom Grassadonia said. “ She has been here before but she was very young, fourteen. We are at a special place. We have an opportunity to make finals in all of the events. Then, we will see what we can do then. It’s going to be a good week.”

He said the YMCA community has been great to work in. The YMCA’s don’t have a ton of swimmers at trials.

“This YMCA has one of the best swimmers in the country and the community supported her not just because she is a great swimmer, but because she is a great person,” Grassadonia said.

Shackley’s first splash was Saturday morning, June 15. It was the 100 fly. She should be in the semi-finals, which is the top sixteen. Then, hopefully, she will be in the top eight and then swim Sunday night in the finals.

Once they are done, they head home and Shackley is going to head for Raleigh, NC on June 26. She is going to be headed to summer school at NC State to get a class under her belt.

“Hopefully she will either make the team, which we know is a long shot but she should make the Junior Pentack team and that will be in Australia in August, Grassadonia said. “She will be at NC State at that point.”

Shackley says that this is bittersweet because she is saying good-bye.

“Today was the last time that I will probably swim at the YMCA pool,” she said. “That has not hit me, yet and probably won’t hit me for a little bit. I can’t believe that I am closing this chapter of my life.”

Shackley said that being a role model for the kids is really cool. “I think that it is a great opportunity for me — I remember being a little one and looking up to all of these people,” she said. “Now, they are doing that to me. I am very happy that I get to be one for these little guys and show them that even though we don’t have all of the fancy stuff, we can still go very far in your sport if you care about it and maximize what you have.”

Shackley said that in order to make the team, she has to make the top two.

“Right now, they say that we are ninth, That is pre-scratch sheets – there are four Olympians in this event,” she said. “It is going to be quite crazy. The stars are going to have to align. It is not impossible. I just want to finish in the top five and have the best time.”