Leah Shackley works out in the pool at the Blair Regional YMCA in Hollidaysburg. Miller photo by Patrick Waksmanski.
Leah Shackley turns 18 next month, a milestone birthday for many teenagers, but the recent Bedford Area High School graduate isn't like other teenagers.
Sure, she has dreams like any other girl her age, but this teenager has some Olympic dreams on her to-do list this summer – literally.
On Thursday, June 13, the Blair Area YMCA will host a farewell party for the six-time Pennsylvania High School Athletic Association champion swimmer, who will be competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials and the Summer Olympics in France (July 26-Aug. 11).
“I can't wait,” Shackley said Friday afternoon after a workout at the Blair Area YMCA. “I'm really excited.”
The trials are scheduled to take place June 15-21 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with an Olympic-sized swimming pool set up above the stadium's football field.
Leah Shackley trains in the pool at the Blair Regional YMCA in Hollidaysburg. On Thursday, the YMCA will hold a farewell party for the six-time Pennsylvania High School Athletic Association champion swimmer before he heads to the U.S. Olympic Trials and the Summer Olympics in France. Miller photo by Patrick Waksmanski.
“I can't wait to see how the pool is decorated,” Shackley said. “It looks amazing. I went (to the qualifying round) three years ago when I was 14, and it's exciting to think I'll be there again.”
She will compete in the 100 meters, 200 meters backstroke and 100 meters butterfly. She was also qualified to compete in the 200 meters butterfly but withdrew from it. She will need to finish in the top two in one of those three races to book a spot in Paris.
“I always joke that you could never bet on Leah and lose,” said Tom Grassadonia, Shackley's coach and Blair Area director of aquatics. “I think everyone knew early on that she was a very special athlete. God gave her a talent and she never let it go to waste.”
Shackley trained at the YMCA in Cumberland, Maryland, before coming to the Hollidaysburg YMCA at age 11. Two years later, he began working exclusively in Grassadonia.
Executive director Sharon Jones began working at the YMCA in 2018, when Shackley was on the YMCA swim team.
Leah Shackley talks with her coach, Tom Grassadonia, while working out in the pool at the Blair Regional YMCA in Hollidaysburg. Miller photo by Patrick Waksmanski.
“With each passing year, she improved her race times, broke records and had her sights set on the Olympics,” Jones recalled. “When she qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials during the 2019-20 swimming season, I fully understood the depth of her talent, determination and dedication to the sport.”
Community Effort
Olympic selection involves traveling, and the local Y was happy to support Shackley and his family (parents Tom and Jessica and siblings Eva and Evan) as they needed funds for the trips to Nebraska and Colorado.
How much help will the YMCA give? I asked and they said they give a lot.
“I first met Leah three years ago when she was swimming in the lane next to me. I had never seen anyone so fast in the water,” Michael said.
Leah Shackley works out with weights at the Blair Regional YMCA in Hollidaysburg. Shackley will compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from June 15 to 21. Miller photo by Patrick Waksmanski
“But her bubbly, energetic and positive, engaging personality stood out just as much,” said DelGrosso, who is also chief sales and marketing officer for DelGrosso Foods and a YMCA member. “I've been a fan and supporter of hers ever since. When I can't watch her games in person, I usually watch them on streaming services.”
DelGrosso was told Shackley would have to compete in nine high-level meets in seven states to compete for a spot on the Olympic team.
Grassadonia said the BRY swim team, the Shackleys and the coach himself were all involved in the effort.
DelGrosso led a fundraising campaign that raised $30,000.
“He (DelGrosso) jumped at the opportunity and has done a great job,” said Grassadonia, who will join the Shackleys in Indianapolis. “He introduced Leah and me to ABCD Corporation last fall and gave us the opportunity to speak to area business leaders, and the response was fantastic.”
“We've had amazing corporate support and of course BRY and many members of the community have been so gracious,” Grassadonia said. “I think we got our first check three days after we met at ABCD, so we're really grateful.”
“Work ethic, humility.”
Support for Shackley spans generations.
“Everyone who meets Leah is drawn to her rare combination of incredible work ethic, humility, positive enthusiasm and always smiling,” DelGrosso said. “This involved significant travel and expenses, so I took Leah on the tour and introduced her to local business leaders to help raise funds. The response was immediate, and we exceeded our goal, even adding a trip to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.”
Grassadonia says she has received great support, both financially and emotionally.
“You can see it's a very special relationship, a bond,” he says. “Everyone knows Leah, especially the women in her four swim classes who train while she practices, and the members who lift next to her at the wellness center. People stop by the pool and ask her how she's doing.”
“Individuals and businesses in the area have had a positive impact on Leah's life and her continued success in her swimming journey,” Jones said.
Anyone who has heard her speak can hear the humility in her voice when asked about everything that's going on as she prepares for her farewell party on Thursday.
“The YMCA has been amazing,” said Shackley, who will be attending North Carolina State University this fall on a full athletic scholarship. “Especially the swim team and the adult swim class. A lot of these girls are like grandmas to me. They've given me so much support and care.”
Jones witnessed those exchanges firsthand.
“If I had to describe Leah in one word, it would be authenticity,” she said. “Whenever she's talking to anyone, she's completely engaged and really curious about what's important to them. We're so blessed to have Leah as part of the Y family.”
Elite Company
Because Shackley’s high school didn’t have a swim team, she has always been an independent swimmer, competing in other high school meets in preparation for the high school postseason.
She also balanced her time with the BRY team.
Shackley swims two hours a day, Monday through Saturday (often with early morning swims during term time) and trains in the weight room three days a week.
Her diet focuses on high protein intake.
According to SwimSwam, a website that covers and writes about boys and girls swimming at various schools, Shackley is part of the Class of 2024 who earned three of the top 14 times in the country this year.
At the 2024 PIAA Meet at Bucknell University, Shackley won the 100 butterfly in a time of 50.29 seconds.
That's 1.64 seconds faster than last year's state record, and in the 100 backstroke, she improved by 0.85 seconds from the 2023 state record in 50.76 seconds.
It was her third consecutive state title in both events and the second straight year she has broken state records in both events. Her winning time was more than two seconds faster than the Class 3A championship winner, the fastest ever in the 100 backstroke.
She was a cash medalist at the World Junior Championships, winning gold in the 50m butterfly and silver in the 100m butterfly.
See the action
The trial will be broadcast live on the Peacock Network and then on a delayed basis on NBC. USA Network is also involved.
“So when the athlete you're coaching is approaching No. 5 in the national rankings, you know she has a chance, especially against U.S. competition,” Grassadonia said.
In August, after the Olympics, Shackley
Become a full-time student
athlete. Her time at the Blair Area Y will be significantly reduced.
“After the trials, we will be transferring her to the NC State team and she will start classes in Raleigh,” Grassadonia said. “So the trials will be really bittersweet for both of us, but we've agreed not to think about it. This is a dream race and we'll do our best through the trials. She'll move on and I'll go from being her coach to being a fan.”
