She was just 23. Born in 2001, Shelby Daniele recently graduated from Cal Poly with a master’s in agriculture. She was not just an exceptional student, but also a great athlete. With achievements like holding the school record for the indoor 200 meters (24.69 seconds) and the No. 2 all-time spot in the women’s indoor 60 meters (7.62 seconds), she had a promising career ahead. She was an important part of the Cal Poly Mustangs track and field team and competed from 2020 to 2024. But her goal in life was much bigger.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she chose agriculture because she wanted to improve the environment. The loss of such a talent hit people hard and it left them shocked. One such person was a fellow athlete’s father, Brian Brandenburg. With September 25 being National Daughters Day, the father showed his daughters, Eva and Tori, some appreciation. He posted two images of his daughters. One was a screenshot of Eva’s Instagram story, while the other was of the duo with their black lab. However, the third image caught everyone’s eye—it was an image of Daniele, along with a heartfelt message revealing the cause of her death.

He wrote on Facebook, “In honor of National Daughters Day I get to scream from the rooftop. Tori and Eva have been a blessing in so many ways. They are both great young women. Loving, kind, thoughtful, smart and beautiful. But my joy is crushed tonight. The young lady that was the driving force in Eva’s decision to run Track at Cal Poly, Shelby Daniele, passed away last night of a brain aneurism.”

“Completely heartbreaking. This is Eva’s 3rd day of classes and practice. Hug your children every time you can and tell them you love them every day. Please say a prayer for Shelby and her family.”

As per the Mayo Clinic’s website, “A brain aneurysm (AN-yoo-riz-um) — also known as a cerebral aneurysm or intracranial aneurysm — is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain. … Experts think brain aneurysms form and grow because blood flowing through the blood vessel puts pressure on a weak area of the vessel wall.”

Daniele’s most recent performance at the 2024 Big West Track & Field Championships in May was particularly noteworthy, where the sprinter clinched second place with 23.51 seconds on the clock. And now she will be remembered by the likes of her coach and strangers all across the globe who have been sending heartfelt consolation to her close counsel.

Shelby Daniele’s former coach remembers her kindness…

When the news broke, Buchanan High’s track and field head coach, Brian Weaver, mentioned how people all across the country were grieving. The sprinter was a big part of their family. “They remember her,” he stated. However, the coach had first-hand experience witnessing Daniele’s growth throughout the four years of high school. He took pride in that. He described her as a fierce competitor who kept pushing no matter what, reminiscing about her impressive 200m win at the 101st Track and Field Championship in 2019.

Shelby Daniele kept up with a long weekend of races. Weaver described how the sprinter had the heart of a champion that day. However, she mentioned how she was exhausted at one point, but when the coach asked her to look back on everything she had gone through to reach that point, Daniele pulled through and helped them secure a state championship—and that is something Weaver is never going to forget.

“It was a great athlete coaching experience for me because we had to get through some things together. That is a memory that I will have forever,” he confessed.

Weaver proudly mentioned how, after she moved on to Cal Poly, the sprinter ensured she never forgot the people who helped her get to that point. “After graduating, she would take her personal time to come say hi to all the coaches and athletes.” But that wasn’t it. She wanted to inspire girls.

During her 200-meter sprint, two young girls pushed her to give her best. “I saw two girls and I said I have to do this for the team ran past them and got to the finish and I was like no way did I just do that? I saw my time and I broke down because I didn’t know what to do. I was excited and it’s an amazing feeling,” Daniele had shared.

No doubt, Brian Weaver described the sprinter as someone who “loved everything.” According to him, the best way to keep her memory alive would be to do just that—to live life to the fullest. “She would want to be remembered for that,” he stated.