As the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Israeli national Israeli champion, Shapira became the first woman to win four consecutive Israeli titles.
The 26-year-old has worked hard to maintain this momentum during coronavirus when all of the races were cancelled.
“I learned that I love to push my physical limits, even when it’s just myself that I’m competing with,” Shapira said.
Shapira won her first national title in 2017 as a member of the Italian team Guisfredi-Bianchi. Her second title was with the US team Cyclane Pro Cycling. Shapira’s last two titles have been won with Canyon-SRAM written across her chest, the team that she continues to ride for throughout the year.
Her 2020 title was confirmed in a race at Beit Guvrin between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, which is known for its many climbs.
Shapira confirmed her spot in this year’s Games with a 13th-place finish in the 2019 UCI Road World Championships Women’s time trial in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Given that only one athlete can represent each country in the Olympics, Shapira was moved up to eighth place. Since the top 10 racers automatically qualify, this promotion was enough for Shapira to punch her ticket to Tokyo. Shapira will represent Israel in both the time trial and road race this month.