USA Curling 2004-05 Athlete Biography

JEFF SHAPIRO	Teammates:  Andy Borland, Mike Farbelow, Kevin Stevens Coach:
		2004-05 competition schedule
	Position	Second
	Delivers	Right-handed
	Born	August 5, 1954 in Hibbing, Minn.
	Hometown	Hibbing, Minn.
	Occupation	Pharmacist, Manager, Fairview Mesaba Pharmacy
	Family	Married, 2 children
	Year started curling	1967
	Height	5 feet, 6 inches
	Weight	170 pounds

CURLING HIGHLIGHTS

• Minnesota State Men's: 2000 (champion)
• Minnesota State Mixed: 1999 (champion)
• Mixed Nationals: 1999 (competitor)
• Men's Nationals: 2001 (quarterfinalist); 2000
• National Men's Qualifier (for the Olympic Trials): 2001 (qualifier #3)
  

Other highlights include:

• Winning Minnesota State Mixed Championship curling with his wife, Debbie, in 1999
• 1997 -- Elks International Bonspiel champion (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada)

PERSONAL FILE

In his own words: "I started curling when I was in seventh grade as part of gym class at Hibbing High School, and have played ever since, except for taking about five years off in the early '90s when my wife had me choose between curling and "old timer's" hockey. And then when I started curling again, so did she."

Nickname: "Sheppy."

Training regimen: "Being 47 and still playing 2nd on a competitive team does require some training. I run during the summer and have done and will do half-marathons (including the Grandma's Half Marathon in Duluth, Minn.).  Winter is harder; I usually switch to a treadmill or an elipse." 

Occupation: "I have been a pharmacist for over 20 years and have definitely seen a change in my profession. Disease management is more the role of the pharmacist today, and I am part of both our Diabetes Team and our Asthma Team in the hospital I work in. I ran my own business for 16 years before selling it to our local hospital in 1996. It was a hard decision considering we had a drug store since 1923, when my grandfather started it."

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Brown University; Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy, University of Minnesota.

Other favorite sports: GOLF, fishing, hunting

What I'd like the world to know about curling: "What I like is that it is one of those "life-long" sports. To think I could have a shot at the Olympics at 47 years of age is pretty amazing."