Lupus Diagnosis to Endurance Runner: Mireille Siné’s Journey

What do you do when you receive a diagnosis that can turn your life upside down? Is your reaction going to be one of determination or surrender? Imagine for a moment, the idea of going from lupus diagnosis to endurance runner. Is that the path you would take? For Mireille Siné the first question wasn’t about becoming an endurance runner. Her first question was about getting healthy. Other things would fall into place after that.

In 2015, Mireille Siné found herself at a crossroads. After battling lupus, an autoimmune condition, she received the green light to resume physical activity. For Siné, a former track athlete and dancer, this clearance marked the beginning of a remarkable journey into endurance sports. “Running just kind of seemed the easiest way to pick things back up,” she recalls.

The Road to Recovery: Reclaiming an Active Lifestyle

Diagnosed with lupus during college, Siné faced a daunting road ahead. “I took a full stop for medical leave,” she explains. “And so in that time, I was doing some chemotherapy and kind of figuring out which proportion of medication that I needed to work for me before I could get into remission, where my inflammation markers were low enough to get the okay to go back to physical activity.”

But Siné’s resilience shone through. Despite the challenges, she was determined to reclaim her active lifestyle. “It felt like I was given the ability to take charge of my life again versus having someone else dictate what it is I could and couldn’t do,” she says of resuming running in 2015.

Yet, the journey was far from easy. Siné recounts the physical and mental toll of relearning her body’s capabilities. “In those first few months, it felt like I’d never run a day in my life,” she reflects. “It took a lot of patience and just grace.”

A Marathon of Challenges: Training for the LA Marathon

Her perseverance paid off when she set her sights on the LA Marathon. Going into the marathon Mireille had the confidence of a good training block. She had run up to 22 miles in the lead up to the marathon and in her mind she was prepared for the last 4 miles

However, at mile 16, cramping threatened to derail her progress. “ I start to cramp and it’s a whole new world for me. My quads are just not agreeing with me” she recalls. A friend ran by her and asked if she was okay. Not wanting to cause damage to her body she was able to make it to a med tent.

Despite the setback, Siné pressed on, embodying determination and grit. “Eventually I get out of the tent and I run when I can, jog when I have to, walk when I can,” she recounts. Crossing the finish line, she realized the depth of her resilience. “The moment that I cross a finish line, it’s like nothing else matters,” she says. “To this day, I remember thinking, like, I can literally do anything.”

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Venturing Off the Beaten Path: Trail Running and Representation

From marathons to trail running, Siné’s journey evolved, fueled by her desire for new challenges and representation in the sport. She had run 5 marathons and was looking for a new challenge. She noticed that trail running was gaining in popularity in the LA area and wanted to see what it was all about. The trail running scene was populated by people of color but Siné did not see that same make-up when she looked at social media or other publications.

“What was concerning for me was… people that I would see portrayed as trail runners were not [people of color],” she explains. Determined to challenge stereotypes, she ventured into trail running, embracing the mental and physical demands of the sport.

Reflecting on her journey, Siné emphasizes the importance of representation and advocacy. “I’m really big on being an advocate for those autoimmune athletes, or lupus athletes specifically,” she asserts. “The more we talk about these different challenges… the more people can learn about it.”

Lessons from the Trails: Patience, Grace, and Mental Toughness

Siné’s story is proof of the power of consistency and determination. Through endurance sports, she has learned patience, grace, discipline, and mental toughness—qualities that extend far beyond the trails. As she continues to break barriers and amplify diverse voices in endurance sports, Siné’s journey inspires others to defy expectations and pursue their passions, no matter the obstacles.

Despite being diagnosed with lupus, Mireille Siné had a vision of getting back to an active lifestyle. There would be nothing that would stand in her way regardless of how long it took. Her courage to move from a lupus diagnosis to endurance runner reminds us that the start of a journey may be unexpected. Accepting where you are and moving forward, you will find that the path is filled with opportunities for growth and transformation.

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