The day before Shelly Cicero found out whether she had been picked for her high school's cheerleading squad, she withdrew her name from competition, too afraid of not being selected to stick around.

"That has been my whole life," said Mrs. Cicero, 42, of Ross. "I did not go after what I wanted."

But when her chance to train for a bodybuilding competition came around last December, she took advantage of the opportunity.

"I wanted to break that cycle," she said.

On Oct. 1, she did just that, claiming a first-place title in the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders 2005 Battle for the Swords at the Radisson in Monroeville. The competition was open to anyone, but most bodybuilders came from the region.

Mrs. Cicero won first place in the women's novice figure division and second place in the figure division for women 35 and older. She also won a trip for two to a place of her choice.

"I have always been lifting and exercising, but I took it to a different avenue," Mrs. Cicero said of her nearly yearlong training regimen.

During the first part of her training, Mrs. Cicero focused on building muscle, sometimes lifting weights for four hours a day.

Her job as fitness floor supervisor at Oxford Athletic Club in Pine allowed her to lift in the morning, work her shift at the club, then work out again before going home.

Sixteen weeks before the competition, cardiovascular exercise and a more rigid diet was added to her training.

One of the most difficult things about training was juggling time for her family, job and workouts, she said. But discipline wasn't a problem. Instead, her biggest challenge was self-esteem.

"I thought, 'I can't do this,' " she said.

But her "passion for fitness" kept her going, she said, in addition to her need to inspire her two daughters, Sarah, 16, and Jenna, 14.

"I think it is really important for them to see me go after one of my goals and dreams," Mrs. Cicero said.

The trainers at Oxford supported her throughout her training, she said.

"We are very proud of her accomplishment," said Jennifer Thomas, fitness and wellness director at Oxford. "She works very hard professionally and personally."

Mrs. Cicero said she will wait until next year to attend the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders national competition because she needs to build up her shoulders and the muscles on either side of her lower spine.

Even though mass is important, she said, figure bodybuilding focuses more on symmetry and muscle tone than muscle size.

When she is ready to go to the nationals, lack of confidence no longer will be an issue.Self-assuredness, she said, came the night after she won the competition, when she was sitting alone in her hotel room.

"I was just thinking about how hard I worked for this and that I actually achieved it," she said. "The self-confidence that I have now is overwhelming."