(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Sailor Maggie Shea, from Wilmette, has been on the water since before she could walk.
“I started sailing on my grandpa’s boat, with my aunts and uncles and siblings and parents and everyone. It was a total family affair,” Shea said.
One that eventually took Shea and crewmate Stephanie Roble to Monroe Harbor.
“Steph and I first sailed a skiff 20 years ago, at Chicago Yacht Club. It was one of their 29ers - it was club-owned. We just fell in love with sailing together, and sailing fast.”
They turned pro after college, and are now headed to their second Olympic Games on the 49erFX.
“It’s a really lightweight boat built for planing and going fast. We both are on these trapezes, so we kind of like stand outside of the boat, over the water. It goes fast, it’s very technical, the racing is tight. It’s just the best boat ever. I love it so much.”
Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea of USA compete in a Womens 49er FX Skiff Class race on day three of the Paris 2024 Sailing Test Event at Marseille Marina on July 11, 2023 in Marseille, France. Photo credit Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images There is so much more to sailing than just being out on the water.
Listen to the day Shea had when WBBM caught up last month, via zoom from Marseilles, France.
“So, I slept in ‘til eight. I did about half an hour of muscle activation and mobility stuff, because I’m still recovering from the plane ride a few days ago."
That got her to a meeting at 10 with sailing partner Roble.
“We set some goals for the day, we looked at the forecast together, we talked about where we were going to be racing.”
One of the fun things they did that day was test out some food.
“We’re actually testing out the catering for the Olympics, so we got some pretty fancy lunches to try out, with San Pellegrino, which felt so fancy and special!”
Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea of Team United States compete during the Women's Skiff - 49er FX class race on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Enoshima Yacht Harbour on July 27, 2021 in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan. Photo credit Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images Shea and Roble missed the medal round in Tokyo, but Shea says she was filled with gratitude for just the opportunity to compete, considering all of the COVID precautions in 2021. Paris - and Marseilles, about three hours away, where her event will take place - will be much different.
“I want to do all of the touristy Team USA things. I want to go cheer for everyone after we finish competing. I want to see everything, I want to meet everyone, I want to go to every Team USA house and swap all the pins, and do all those fun Olympic-y things.”
And she and Roble want to win. They’ve been pushing for more since Japan.
“We had to take a good hard look at everything after Tokyo and say, ‘What is good enough’, and then, ‘What areas can we really improve.’ I’m really proud of what we’ve done, and what we’ve learned.”
It’ll be on display on the Mediterranean Sea at the end of the month.
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