Watch as Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea field questions from Lake Beulah Yacht Club (LBYC) members. Many of their remarks address the preparation and mental aspects of performing at a high level.
Steph and Maggie qualified for the 2020 Olympics, showing tremendous grit to win the medal race in the 2020 49er FX worlds.
Topics include the pivotal moments in the medal race, their process-oriented, growth mindset, advice for youth sailors, team dynamics, and fundraising.
Their remarks show us a path to excellence that we can all learn from. LBYC is proud to claim them as members!
Preparation and Mental Aspects
Steph and Maggie repeatedly emphasized two preparation and mental aspects of their campaign:
- Process orientation. They talk about how focusing on the process of pre-race preparation helps them calm their nerves and focus on what’s needed.
- Growth mindset. This helped them turn around a rocky beginning to the 2019 worlds. When the first part of the regatta didn’t go well, they realized they were feeling pressure to perform. They decided to take each race as a learning experience, which helped them end the regatta on an improving trend.
Other preparation tips that any sailors can use:
- Get a training partner. They trained with the Argentinian team, and continually pushed each other. There was no downside to continually training with the same team.
- Work on the little things and be patient. Maggie described how it took several months to change how she handled the mainsheet during a tack.
Advice for Youth and Sailing Schools
Key insights for youth sailors include:
- Don’t worry about your results too much – develop a love for the sport and a growth mindset.
- Sail a lot of different boats in different settings.
Steph spoke about her early development. From her remarks, we deduced some key elements for successful sailing schools:
- Lots of time on the water
- Fun and a variety of activities
- Good coaching
- A family atmosphere, where the sailors and families are in close proximity and become friends on and off the water
Campaign Status and Finances
- Steph and Maggie hope to be able to train on the water this summer, but everything is still uncertain.
- Currently they are concentrating on maintaining fitness and finding ways to “talk sailing.”
- U.S. Sailing is reviewing the entire Olympic qualification status, primarily for the the fleets that weren’t able to complete qualifications this spring. However, U.S. Sailing intends to stick with any teams that have already qualified for Tokyo.
- Roble-Shea Sailing needs to raise $75K – $100K between now and the start of the games.
Donate to Roble-Shea Sailing
Many traditional fundraising methods are not available to Steph and Maggie due to the pandemic. You can help by donating to their campaign at either of the following sites:
Medal Race – 49er FX Worlds 2020 – replay (pivotal moment for Roble Shea at 18:30)
