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In the early 1980's, Gary Bodie put a young Old Dominion University sailing program onthe map, and helped to pilot the program to national prominence. Under his guidance, the Monarchs captured the 1982 Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association women's sailing nationalchampionship.
The team first qualified for the Dinghy National Championships in 1982, finishing 12th.The dinghy squad placed ninth in 1983 and sixth in 1985. The Monarchs qualified for the TeamRacing National Championships in 1982, finishing eighth, qualified again in 1983, finishing third.
The titles were the first of many, as he coached the school's first sailing all-American,K.C. Fullmer in 1983, along with Alan Kilgore, the Monarchs first Olympic sailor. Fullmer,who later became the Monarchs' head coach was inducted in the Old Dominion Sports Hall ofFame in 1990. Bodie also coached future All-Americans, Linda Taboada and Mike Martinalong with Stacy Ench, the school's first All-Star Crew All-American recipient in 1985.
Upon graduation from Cal Tech where he captained the sailing team for two seasons,Bodie returned to his native Hampton roads in 1978 as the Monarchs head coach. The programbecame a varsity sport in 1981.
Bodie was instrumental in the designing of the sailing center which opened in 1984. OldDominion hosted the ICYRA women's Dinghy and Team Racing National Championships inJune of 1985. The school also hosted the ICYRA singlehanded National Championships in December of 1980. In 1985, Bodie coached at the Olympic Festival in Baton Rouge, LA.
Bodie coached Old Dominion's sailing program until 1985 before becoming the headcoach at the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1995, he became the director of the sailing program atHampton University.