maggie shea

Maggie Shea, a two-time Olympian and US Sailing Team athlete, has transitioned her extensive leadership and competitive experience in professional sailing to become the inaugural Executive Director of the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation. After leading her team to a second-place finish at the 2011 ICSA Women’s Nationals as team captain, Maggie Shea was recognized as an All-American Honorable Mention and NEISA Sportswoman of the Year. During her collegiate career, she also received the prestigious Connecticut College Brooks-Brown Award, honoring her leadership, scholarship, and sportsmanship. Her competitive drive was evident early, having gained her first Olympic Trials experience in 2008 for the Laser Radial event, setting the stage for her future Olympic aspirations.

Their partnership yielded a fifth-place finish at the 2018 European Championships, followed by a silver medal at the Pan American Games Lima in 2019 and a bronze medal at the Hempel World Cup Series Genoa in 2019. The team continued their ascent with a bronze medal at the 2020 49erFX World Championship, culminating in their representation of the USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where they finished 11th. Further cementing her status as a two-time Olympian and US Sailing Team athlete, Shea earned a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in 2023, before representing the USA again at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing 10th. In a pivotal leadership transition, Shea was appointed the inaugural Executive Director of the Chicago Yacht Club Foundation, a role she will assume in 2025, focused on promoting youth engagement in sailing and fostering the next generation of athletes.