# Maria Michta-Coffey

Maria Lynn Michta-Coffey (born June 23, 1986) is an American race walker. She is a two-time Olympian, having competed for the US at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics in the 20-kilometer event. Michta-Coffey is the American record-holder at three racewalking distances: 5, 15, and 20 km.

## Life and career

Michta-Coffey had a strong 2014 season, setting four American records in the race walk, and broke her own American record in the 20 km twice in just over one month. She was the highest placed American finisher ever in the women's 20 km IAAF World Race Walking Cup, setting a new American record of 1:30:49 and finishing 30th. Michta won her 6th national title of 2014 on September 14 at the National 30k in Valley Cottage, NY.
Michta-Coffey competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the 20 kilometer race walk after winning the U.S. Olympic trials with a time of 1:34:53.33. At the 2012 Olympics, she finished in 29th place in the 20 kilometer race walk with a time of 1:32:27, a new personal best.
She won her 30th national title on June 30, 2016 at the US Olympic Trials, earning her second Olympic berth. She finished in 22nd place at the Rio Olympics.

## Personal life

Michta-Coffey is of Polish descent.
Michta graduated from high school in the Sachem School District on Long Island in New York in 2004. She graduated as valedictorian from Long Island University C. W. Post Campus in 2008 and then became a PhD candidate at the Mount Sinai Medical School in biomedical science. She defended her Ph.D. in 2014 with her thesis, "Hepatitis C virus cell entry determinants of occludin". While training for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Michta-Coffey taught at Suffolk County Community College as an adjunct professor. Currently, Michta-Coffey works as a Rapid Response and Procedural Physician Assistant.
Michta-Coffey married her Sachem High School sweetheart Joe Coffey on July 3, 2014. After her marriage, she began racing under the name Michta-Coffey.
She was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island in the Track & Field Category with the Class of 2016.
Michta-Coffey is the mother of children, Liliana Marie and Daniel Chester.

## Personal bests

| Event | Result | Venue | Date |
| Road walk ||||
| 5 km | 21:51 min | Albany, United States | 31 May 2015 American Record |
| 10 km | 44:09+ min | Earth City, United States | 3 April 2016 American Record |
| 15 km | 1:07:51+ hrs | Taicang, China | 3 May 2014 American Record |
| 20 km | 1:30:49 hrs | Taicang, China | 3 May 2014 American Record |
| Track walk ||||
| 5000 m | 21:48.09 min | Philadelphia, United States | 28 April 2018 |
| 10,000 m | 45:31.40 min | Manalapan, United States | 30 July 2017 |

## Competition record

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| Representing the United States ||||||
| 2003 | World Youth Championships | Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada | 10th | 5000 m track walk | 24:52.06 |
| 2004 | World Race Walking Cup (U20) | Naumburg, Germany | 29th | 10 km | 53:04 |
| 2004 | World Race Walking Cup (U20) | Naumburg, Germany | 14th | Junior team | 68 pts |
| 2004 | World Junior Championships | Grosseto, Italy | 22nd | 10,000 m | 51:42.95 |
| 2005 | Pan American Race Walking Cup (U20) | Lima, Peru | 2nd | 10 km | 48:03 |
| 2005 | Pan American Race Walking Cup (U20) | Lima, Peru | 4th | Junior team | 19 pts |
| 2005 | Pan American Junior Championships | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | 3rd | 10,000 m | 49:43.85 |
| 2006 | NACAC U-23 Championships | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | 5th | 10,000 m walk | 52:26.00 |
| 2007 | Pan American Race Walking Cup | Balneário Camboriú, Brazil | 19th | 20 km | 1:53:55 |
| 2007 | Pan American Race Walking Cup | Balneário Camboriú, Brazil | 4th | Team | 45 pts |
| 2007 | NACAC Championships | San Salvador, El Salvador | 7th | 10,000 m | 59:00.37 |
| 2008 | World Race Walking Cup | Cheboksary, Russia | 66th | 20 km | 1:45:02 |
| 2008 | World Race Walking Cup | Cheboksary, Russia | 15th | Team | 190 pts |
| 2009 | Pan American Race Walking Cup | San Salvador, El Salvador | 13th | 20 km | 1:50:21 |
| 2009 | Pan American Race Walking Cup | San Salvador, El Salvador | 3rd | Team | 39 pts |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 29th | 20 km | 1:38:54 |
| 2011 | Pan American Games | Guadalajara, Mexico | 9th | 20 km | 1:38:47 A |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 29th | 20 km | 1:32:27 |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 33rd | 20 km | 1:33:51 |
| 2014 | World Race Walking Cup | Taicang, China | 30th | 20 km | 1:30:49 |
| 2014 | World Race Walking Cup | Taicang, China | 12th | Team | 167 pts |
| 2015 | Pan American Race Walking Cup | Arica, Chile | 5th | 20 km | 1:34:06 |
| 2015 | Pan American Race Walking Cup | Arica, Chile | 3rd | Team | 35 pts |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 20th | 20 km | 1:33:24 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 22nd | 20 km | 1:33:41 |
| 2018 | NACAC Championships | Toronto, Canada | 1st | 20,000 m | 1:36:34 CR |
| 2019 | 2019 World Athletics Championships | Doha, Qatar | 35th | 20 km | 1:46:02 |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 22nd | 35 km | 2:58:51 PB |
| 2022 | NACAC Championships | Freeport, Bahamas | 3rd | 20 km | 1:42:14.32 |