As the whistle blows, the wheels take off at lightning speeds. In a matter of seconds, Aleigh Heavey flies around the roller rink at top speed. Impressive as it is, this is just the beginning of this young athlete’s success.
For junior Heavey, roller skating combines many of her interests–intense training, tack and field, learning new skills and chasing success. Junior Aspen Rollins, her teammate on the miller track & field team, has noticed Heavey’s drive and passion for skating.
“She’s a great leader and very driven to get better and works super hard to make sure that happens,” Rollins said.
Heavey balances participation in multiple sports. That means she needs to manage her time and make decisions every day to continue displaying her extreme determination, something her coaches notice every day.
“She balances being a part of speedskating and track at the same time throughout the entire calendar year,” Miller track head coach James Pearce said.
Pearce sees Heavey’s determination on the track. He says her teammates pick up on her motivation.
“Aleigh is one of those people who has a consistent, dedicated work ethic to what she’s involved in,” Pearce said.
Heavey attempts to balance her time between multiple sports, which can be a challenge, she says. But she understands how time management skills and decision making are imperative in order to correctly prioritize her daily list of tasks, according to Pearce.
“It’s always a decision for her of what to dedicate her energy to during various times of the year and how much time to invest,” Pearce said.
Heavey’s intense, continuous commitment requires long hours of travel at times, which she says requires making sacrifices. Sometimes, these trips can be extremely long, leaving little time for fun, according to her coach.
“Her speedskating is several days each week in Fort Wayne, IN,” Pearce said. “So on those nights, she has track practice and then drives to Fort Wayne, 1.75 hours each way, for skating practice.”
Over the past few years, Heavey has racked up several awards from her roller skating efforts. She says that her family is a big reason for her success.
“I’ve been doing it for about 4 years. I got into it after Covid through my cousin. I’d always gotten in roller rinks and skated around, and my cousin started speed skating, and she got me into it,” Heavey said.
Even though Heavey has a demanding schedule, she has still managed to grow into a vital position on skating team. That’s a role her coaches appreciate.
“Aleigh is an outstanding teammate,” Pearce said. “She has been brought along by other older athletes on our team during her first two years of high school and has grown into a strong leader. She is now learning how to assert herself as a leader and be the kind of leader many others want to follow,” Pearce said.
Heavey’s coach says that her work ethic is one of the things that set her apart from most athletes. Pearce says the work she puts in will help her in the future, opening up opportunities for the athlete.
“Aleigh isn’t the most talented athlete on our roster, but she’s one of the most dedicated and hardest workers which makes up for much of that talent gap,” Pearce said. “She’s positioned herself in track as a Division II or small school Division I track and field athlete and is looking to improve from where she is now,” Pearce said.
Since the beginning of her athletic career, Heavey says she has learned to focus on the details. This includes all of the requirements of a tack and field competition.
“There are relays and then individual races, relays you are put with 1-3 other people,” Heavey said. “Everyone’s warmup routines are very different, how long people warmup for, the stretches they do, or the equipment they use such as different kinds of wheels.”
So as she continues to skate on, Heavey offers a piece of advice for future runners and skaters considering the sports.
”Gradually race and see if there are any teams around you,” said Heavey. “Then talk to coaches and see if they know anything,” Heavey said.
