Hall of Famer Leo O’Shea was born in Cortland, New York, and is a graduate of Cortland High School. After graduation, Leo enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves and spent two years on active duty and served four years in the Reserve. While on active duty Leo served on the destroyer USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DD932). While serving aboard the JOHN PAUL JONES, Leo served as an Electronics Technician. While a crew member, he completed a Mediterranean Cruise and most notably supported the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. After six years of service, Leo was discharged as an Electronic Technician 2nd Class.
In his late twenties, Leo started riding street bikes and eventually got together with friends to ride off-road. Shortly after he started riding off-road, Leo began racing motocross in the Western New York Motocross Association, which he did for seven years. Towards the end of his seven years of racing, he bought a Yamaha TY175 as a second bike. He had found trials and was hooked, that was the end of racing motocross. Leo started competing in District 4 trials and has been competing ever since.
In 1983 the New England Trials community had the good fortune to have Leo settle in Massachusetts. Since moving to Massachusetts, Leo has been a perennial competitor in New England and has competed in approximately 20 National events since he started competing in 1976. While he was a member of King Phillip Trail Riders, Leo either supported trials events or was the Trials Master. Leo subsequently joined the Springfield Motorcycle Club and has been the Trials Master for local events on a yearly basis.
Leo served as the New England Trials Association Treasurer for 20 years in addition to serving two three year terms as President of the Association. Leo’s favorite bike is his 2016 Beta 200. After his discharge from the Navy, he continued to build on the skills he learned in the Navy and worked until his retirement in 2010 as an Electronics Network Engineer.
When you see Leo competing in, or hosting an event, you will be sure to see his wife Bonnie checking a section and offering the riders encouragement. For all his efforts on behalf of New England trials, Leo was inducted into the New England Trials Association Hall of Fame in 2009, which follows his induction into the District 4 Hall of Fame in the mid-eighties.