Rebecca Shanks York is the daughter of Ben and Donna Shanks and sister of Benny, David, and Elizabeth Shanks. She grew up in Rogersville, Tennessee and began swimming competitively at the age of five. She went on to swim for Dobyns-Bennett High School and Barracuda Swim Club in Kingsport, Tennessee.
After her success at the State and Southeast Region Swimming Championships, Rebecca was recruited to swim for University of the Cumberlands, following her brother, David, a 2001 graduate and four year swimmer. During Rebecca's collegiate career, she was a NAIA National Qualifier in all individual events each year and was named a NAIA National Swimming All-American in twenty-six events. Rebecca had ten top three individual finishes at the NAIA National Championships during her career. She was named MVP by her coach all four years and earned Academic All-American honors her senior year. At one time, she held school records in the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle and 200, 400, and 800 freestyle relays. Her 500 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay records stood for over ten years. She still holds the second fastest time for the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle and the fifth fastest time for the 200 butterfly.
In 2005, Rebecca graduated from UC with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a minor in Political Science. She furthered her education at Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia earning a Juris Doctor degree in 2008.
Rebecca resides in Apex, North Carolina with her husband, Jonathan, and two children, Lillian and Charles. She works at The York Law Firm, PLLC, which she and her husband started in 2013.
