Episode 2.5 : Tracie Garacochea

Skaterade

Tracie Garacochea is a WCMX skater (Wheelchair Moto Cross, a sport created and by Aaron Fotheringham) it’s a young sport, and Tracie has been making her mark on it for 7 years! At the age of 62, she finds herself carving out new frontiers as she pushes her sport with personal style, commitment, and a tangible love for community and the next generation of skaters. Even more than her pro-tour & competition appearances at the Dew Tour, and wins at Exposure, her focus is volunteering, as it has been her entire life. She is fueled by an innate desire to show what’s possible and extending those possibilities to kids by giving her time to expand access to more durable chairs suitable for sport, and teaching kids how to skate using their wheelchairs.
In this interview, Tracie opens up about how she’s adapted her goals and pursuits to meet the changing tides of her life. She addresses how skating helped her to see her wheelchair as an empowering tool, and other gear that keeps her rolling including the adapted protective gear that has allowed her to address MS symptoms that impact her skating. Her flexibility extends to her artistic mediums as well, and she shares how her approach to artwork has shifted as MS has changed her ability to work with her hands.
Tracie shines light on the institutional challenges she’s experienced as a disabled person. She recounts an exclusionary experience she had at a skate park, and the distrust she holds for our medical system which often fails to see the whole of a person’s experience by rushing them in and out of appointments.
Throughout this interview Tracie emanates an undeniable sense of wonder that is truly infectious. From the exuberant way she talks about her skate bestie, skateboarder, Brooklyn Khoury, to her appreciation of assorted found objects that she collects from the skate park.
Take this ride with us and get to know Tracie!
CHECK OUT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT TRACIE WORKS WITH AND BELIEVES IN!:
Challenged Athletes Foundation:
https://www.challengedathletes.org/

Life Rolls On:

https://liferollson.org/

PlayLA:

https://www.laparks.org/play-la

US Center for Safe Sport:

https://uscenterforsafesport.org/
USA Skateboarding:
https://usaskateboarding.com/
Catch up with Tracie on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/traciegara/?hl=en

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