Shapiro honored to represent USA
UNM graduate student finishes 19th in her division at world triathlon race
Athena Shapiro, a University of New Mexico graduate student, has been experiencing a high level of patriotism lately.
Shapiro, who is now in Washington D.C. on somewhat of a vacation, represented the U.S. at the World Triathlon Championships in Montreal, Canada on Saturday.
She finished as the 19th overall female and third American in the women’s sprint age 25-29 division. The sprint distances include a 750-meter swim, 20K (12.4-mile) bike and 5K (3.1-mile) run.
Shapiro, 29, originally from Sherman Oaks, California, finished in 1 hour, 16 minutes, 7 seconds.
“It was fun,” Shapiro said in a phone interview on Monday. “It was exciting. It was an honor. It shows the hard work paying off. To wear a top that says ‘USA’ and seeing all the other USA athletes out there, it’s different than any other race that I’ve ever been in.”
Shapiro said her parents took her to Washington D.C. afterwards. Yet, she is spending much of her time studying for her bar exam, scheduled for July 26 and July 27.
She qualified for Saturday’s World Triathlon Championships by finishing second in her division at the national event in November in Tempe, Arizona, where she finished in 1 hour, 14 minutes, 3 seconds.
Last month, Shapiro accomplished two great feats in a week’s time as an athlete and a student.
She completed the full Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, marathon/26.2-mile run) at the World Championships in St. George, Utah on May 7. Then, on May 14, she earned her Juris Doctor (JD) for completing law school at UNM, where she received a certificate for her specialization in natural resources, which includes law in the topics of water, administrative, climate change and environmental.
“It felt really good to graduate and still be able to train and do what I love, which is swimming, biking and running,” she said. “Being able to have that discipline and motivation to get up and do it even when it’s snowing, even when it’s cold, even when there’s a wind storm. I’m being blown all over the road. It feels good knowing that I can not so much push my body, but push my mind to do the uncomfortable things now.”
After taking the bar she will seek a job while she continues toward a master’s degree in water resource and hydroscience.
On Oct. 1, Shapiro will compete in the XTerra World Championship in Trentino, Italy. XTerra is a triathlon that includes a 1.5K swim, 30K mountain bike and 10K trail run.
She qualified for that event when she finished second at a qualifier in Arizona earlier this year.