CCHS graduate qualifies for U.S. Olympic team
By Jason Arndt
Editor
East Troy native Stephanie Roble always had a love for sailing even as a youngster growing up on Lake Beulah.
Roble, a 2007 graduate of Catholic Central High School in Burlington, said the love affair began when her parents Dale and Nancy signed her up for sailing lessons as a 5-year-old at Lake Beulah Sailing School.
“My first instructors did a great job of exposing me the sport and I fell in love with being on the water with my friends,” she said. “I started racing and after winning my first race, I discovered that I love competing and winning.”
Her competitive drive and passion for winning continues today and includes achieving a dream she has had for many years.
That dream, to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo later this summer, happened on the waters off Australia in mid-February.
Roble and teammate Maggie Shea, of Illinois, achieved the dream after winning a bronze medal at the 49erFX world championships to secure spots on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team.
Roble, whose position is skipper, said the 49erFX is the women’s double-handed skiff class in the Olympics and extends nearly 5-meters long.
“It is sailed by two women – myself, the skipper, and Maggie, my crew,” she said. “The skipper steers the boat, makes most of the strategic and tactical decisions and executes maneuvers.”
While the crew does all the hard work, according to Roble. Shea manages the speed by holding the ropes controlling the sails.
The bronze medal, according to Roble, served as a remarkable achievement considering she and Shea were up against 2016 Rio Olympian Paris Henken along with 2008 Gold Medalist and 2012 Olympian Anna Tobias.
“They are incredibly talented sailors with a laundry list of accomplishments,” she said. “Going up against these two in the trials was super inspiring for our work ethic, but also helped us discover a new level of mental toughness and performance.”
The Olympic Trials, she said, consisted of two parts with the first happening at the 2019 World Championships in New Zealand followed by their February appearance in Australia.
Roble admits weeping tears of joy after learning she and Shea will represent the U.S. in Tokyo.
“I felt relieved and excited and instantly started crying happy tears,” she said. “I have dedicated the last 3-1/2 years of my life to this goal, only living and breathing sailing.”
Roble, however, said her team still has more work ahead and does not plan on leaving Tokyo empty-handed.
“While we are really proud to represent Team USA this summer, we are going to Tokyo to win a medal and have a lot of hard work ahead of us over the next 4-1/2 months in order to make that happen,” she said.
To read the entire story see the March 5 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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