Competing at a high level in a sport, especially one as demanding as running, requires a consistent, unyielding devotion to training. Over the course of her high school career, senior Leah Bordenca has gone beyond just competing as a varsity athlete, using her knowledge of athletics to expand inclusivity and provide more opportunities for students with disabilities at WA.
Bordenca will continue to pursue both athletics and her passion for helping others in the next stage of her journey through her commitment to Worcester State University (WSU) for track and field, and her choice to major in speech, language and hearing sciences with a minor in disabilities studies.
Track and field has not always played such a large role in Bordenca’s life, although staying active has been a constant motivation for her involvement in athletics.
“I began track in spring of my sophomore year. I really got into it because I have always loved competitive sports and fitness,” Bordenca said. “I felt that this was the sport that would bring both of those together.”
Despite her late entrance into the sport, the time and effort Bordenca dedicated to improving in her two subsequent years of track earned her an offer to run at the Division III level for WSU. According to Bordenca, the offer was unexpected, but her passion for the sport opened her mind to the possibility of pursuing a collegiate athletic career.
“I honestly did not know that I would want to pursue track after high school,” Bordenca said. “I knew that I loved the sport and that I really enjoyed doing it, so when the opportunity was offered to me I took it.”
The shift from casual high school athlete to collegiate prospect was noticeable, according to Girls’ Track and Field head coach Ashley Smith, as Bordenca continued to shave seconds off of her times and grew more committed to training.
“I remember when she first started doing track […] it was an activity and a way for her to get involved with the school and compete at a high level,” Smith said. “But then once she started to see the progress that she was making across winter and spring track, and her times started coming down, […] she just set her sights on [improving] and she’s gotten herself to a point now where she’s gonna get to compete in college, and that’s because of how determined it was she was, and how seriously she took it.”
An open mindset also allowed Bordenca to explore a variety of events before finding her niche.
“When she first started doing track, she was our perfect candidate for a new track athlete because she was willing to try anything,” Smith said. “When she realized she’d been making the astounding progress that she had been making, she kind of zeroed in on […] her primary focuses and she said […] ‘my sprinting is where it’s at. The sprinting is what I want to focus on.’ And once she put her mind on that, that’s when the improvements really just took off.”
Bordenca’s involvement in WA athletics expanded during her junior and senior years through her role as a team manager for the WA Cross Country (WAXC) team in their 2024 season, and her efforts to establish the Unified sports teams at WA.
In her role as WAXC team manager, Bordenca’s jobs included helping to load the buses for away meets, setting up equipment for home meets, and keeping track of race timings and splits. Bordenca’s tasks kept her close to the track and allowed her to stay consistent with her training even in the fall when there is no WA track and field team.
“Being a team manager of the cross country team has given me a new outlook on the other disciplines of track,” Bordenca said. “I chose to be a team manager so I could be part of the cross country team and help out the coaches.”
Beyond her support of WAXC, Bordenca has had a major role in expanding inclusivity at WA through her work in organizing WA’s Unified Track and Field and Unified Basketball teams. Both Unified teams provide opportunities for students with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDDs) to participate on competitive sports teams.
“No one should be defined by their disability [and] everyone should have an opportunity to participate in school events and activities,” Bordenca said.
Bordenca’s work to create a more equitable environment at WA extends back to her freshman year, when she decided to join Best Buddies, now holding the position of vice president of the club. The organization aims to provide traditional high school experiences for students with IDDs and create an accepting community for all students. Best Buddies and their goal connected with Bordenca early on because of her personal experiences with the struggles many students with disabilities face in school.
“I’ve always felt that everyone should have a voice and be able to be heard. When my brother was younger, he had a really hard time with communicating and participating with other kids at school,” Bordenca said. “He needed a lot of speech and developmental intervention [so] I felt from a personal perspective that all kids and people should be able to have a program where they feel supported.”
The presence of Bordenca’s goal throughout her life has influenced many of her choices in high school, including her choice of college.
“I committed [to WSU] because they have a great program for speech language pathology,” Bordenca said.
According to senior Best Buddies president Laney Mach, their shared aspirations also led to a close friendship developing between them starting when they met in second grade.
“Leah and I were in the same second grade class and since then, we have both had dreams of making WA more inclusive and accessible,” Mach said.
Bordenca has worked with Mach to achieve their goal over the past few years by making WA a more welcoming environment overall.
“Leah is a crucial part of Unified sports and Best Buddies. Leah’s leadership helps to break down barriers, and create a more cohesive and supportive community. Her involvement also inspires others to get involved,” Mach said. “Her dedication and support to Best Buddies and Unified has made it an amazing experience for everyone involved. She’s my partner in crime.”
The positive environment that Bordenca creates has not gone unnoticed in the track and field side of her life either.
“She is […] a very hard worker and very determined, but what I love equally as much about her is how positive and kind she is,” Smith said. “She just has a really infectious optimism and high spirit that makes other people happy to be around her. You can’t be in a bad mood around her.”
According to Bordenca, she has received as much benefit as she’s invested into the different facets of her life and hopes she can continue to inspire and act as a role model for others at WSU.
“I quickly realized that I felt a sense of purpose and made a connection with all the buddies in the club,” Bordenca said. “It brought me a lot of joy, knowing how happy the students were coming to the meetings each week. I found passion in advocating for others and helping them succeed.”
