REAL People/Riding to Win
The Unstoppable Marsha Garcia
This veteran ATV racer faces chronic pain with a competitor’s resolve
THE FIRST time I got on an ATV, I loved everything about it—the wind in my face and the freedom to go fast and not worry about anything. Then I went to an ATV race, and even though I was married with kids, I said, “I wanna do that,” and I did. I entered my first race when I was 31. I’m 55 now, and there’s still nothing like suiting up, putting on your goggles, hearing those bikes rev up with gas and seeing that flag go up.
Now, I’ve had my pity parties. A few years ago, I developed a striking pain toward the back of my head that got more intense over the years. But none of the doctors had an answer, and medications didn’t help. Then one day I scratched my head and felt what seemed like a bolt of electricity shoot through my face. A neurologist finally diagnosed me with a nerve disorder called trigeminal neuralgia (TN), which mostly affects women over 50 and has no cure.
Garcia competes to help herself and inspire others to cope with pain.
TN is often called the “suicide disease” because that stabbing pain in the face is so horrific that a lot of people say they don’t want to live. I was the opposite. I was like, “What are we gonna do about it?” So I started TN Warrior Racing, a nonprofit that raises awareness about the disease so people can get it diagnosed early and be part of a community. The “racing” in the name is just a way to highlight my own story and let people know that life is not over because you have TN—or any chronic disease.
Racing makes me feel unstoppable. I tell myself: If I can get out there for 50 minutes at high speed, I can take on my pain. I want others to feel that kind of motivation. Just get out from under the covers and keep pushing. Anything you do is a win. —As told to Bridgette Reilly
Veteran amateur ATV racer Marsha Garcia, 55, is an event facilitator in Goodyear, Arizona.
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To see Garcia in action, go to aarp.org/marshagarcia.