Mickie Shapiro

Steve Virgen

There is much symbolism portrayed in sports. This is also true in

triathlon, where many subplots come about. There is also a book to be

written, a story to be told, when discovering the life of Mickie

Shapiro.

She is a 67-year-old woman full of life and ready to take on

challenges as they come. It seems she’s actually in need of tests and

obstacles to overcome.

Shapiro, a Costa Mesa resident for the past 30 years, has miles to

go before she sleeps, and an Ironman Triathlon World Championship to

conquer next month. She will compete in the Ironman in Kailua-Kona,

Hawaii Oct. 18.

Finishing the race (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile

run) would be symbolic of her life, one that has included setbacks,

rewards and injuries. She has also raised four children and become an

independent woman after being raised to be a nurturing mother and

supportive wife. She has overcome back pain, a punctured lung,

concussions and age to reach her goals.

“The adversity makes you feel tough and makes you feel alive,”

said Shapiro, a psychotherapist. “There are theories that once you’re

trained, it is 80-90% mental when you’re out there. I heard some

friends say that they get tired and they get down and they want to

give up. I must say, I never want to give up. It never enters my

mind. I might get bored, but giving up never enters my mind.”

The power of the mind has been Shapiro’s weapon of choice when

fighting through the tough times. In 1985, she broke her collarbone

three times. She also suffered severe injuries when she was involved

in a bicycle accident in San Diego, where she was taken to the

hospital by helicopter. Besides the broken collarbone, she also had a

concussion and broken ribs.

In 1997, a cyclist hit Shapiro’s bike from behind and she spent a

week in the hospital with a punctured lung and a broken collarbone.

But, just as she did in 1985, Shapiro overcame her plight. She was

back qualifying for the Ironman in Hawaii the very next year.

She will be returning to that site next month.

“This will be my sixth year in a row competing at the world

championships in Hawaii,” said Shapiro, who has finished the event in

close to 16 hours. “The thing about triathlon is that it’s all about

the process. It’s more about the process than the result. And even

though I want to do well, I really just want to finish. You learn so

much about yourself through the race.”

For the past 10 years, Shapiro has been writing a book that will

detail her dealings with triathlon. It will be told from a

therapist’s point of view. She taught sports psychology at UC Irvine

15 years ago and she continues to incorporate exercise into her

therapy and counseling methods.

“They say you teach what you need to learn,” Shapiro said of her

time at UCI. “I really learned the mental aspect of performance.

Doing Ironman is a huge mental game.”

Shapiro said her physical skills in competing in triathlon came by

accident. When her daughter, Spencer, was 6, Shapiro took on running

because she did not want her daughter to be alone.

Today, Spencer is Shapiro’s inspiration. Spencer Kayden, who is a

graduate of Estancia High, was nominated for a Tony award for her

work on “Urinetown.” Even though Kayden has received fame and respect

in her field, she remains, her mother says, down to earth.

“As a therapist, I encourage people just to be themselves,”

Shapiro said. “[Spencer is] my inspiration for everything. She’s the

reason I started running and she’s the real reason why I have

continued to run the past few years.”