Pictured is Tracy LaMarche competing in body building with her husband (Blair) right by her side. Tracy is also a Personal Trainer at the Powdersville YMCA.
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Tracy LaMarche could be a motivational speaker if she ever wanted to. She is 5-foot-2 with the heart of a giant.
“I just find so much joy in life and I did not always feel that way,” she said. “There is so much good if you go after it.”
LaMarche used to be a long-distance runner and then she suffered a knee injury that turned into NINE surgeries.
“Each surgery was more aggressive and evasive than the one before,” said LaMarche. “After the ninth one, nothing was resolved and I still had an injured knee and breaks in my tibia that wouldn’t heal. Lots of plates and screws in there and then finally a deep infection that got into all of the hardware and bone. I called and told him (the doctor) to just take the leg. I don’t need another surgery.”
Continued LaMarche, “The nine surgeries took two years and I said that’s enough. It was my choice (to have the leg removed) and I think I was very fortunate to have that choice. Some people have a car accident and don’t have that freedom of choice. I wanted this. So, it helped me stay super positive. I got what I wanted out of it and I think it was a great decision. I’ve never regretted it.”
LaMarche, 46, is a Personal Trainer at the Powdersville YMCA and she trains close to 10 members each week.
She is a real people person and loves helping her clients at the YMCA.
“I have clients who have never worked out before or seen a gym before, and are intimidated by the equipment,” she said. “I have clients who have been working out their entire life and they just love working with a trainer. I have clients who want to compete and ones who say I just need a half hour away from my kids. It’s such a diverse group. We get a half hour together to do something good for ourselves. Each training session is very unique and there is no two training-sessions the same. They all just bring something different to the table.”
LaMarche lifts weights five times a week and is into bodybuilding. She was the overall champion in the Women’s Figure at the 2023 Knox Classic.
“I self-coached myself through that – figured out my workouts and my diet plan,” said LaMarche, about winning the Knox Classic. “I went into the gym every day and sometimes two or three times a day.”
She’s just an inspiration to everyone.
Currently, LaMarche is training for nationals that is in four weeks. A victory at nationals would give LaMarche the title of a Professional Bodybuilder.
“It’s a title – money does not shower down on you,” she joked.
Another goal for LaMarche is to work with other amputees and to help them achieve goals they thought were not possible.
“My goal from here is to keep doing what I’m doing, but also work with other amputees,” LaMarche said. “I really want to show other amputees that bodybuilding is a sport you can really compete in with able-athletes. You don’t have to find a special division for yourself. You can compete on the stage with everyone else and be judged fairly. I don’t know if a lot of other amputees know that. They think paralympics or wheelchair sports.”
LaMarche is proud of her accomplishments in life, which also includes a double masters degree in Health Education from Clemson University and the University of Florida. She works from home as a Public Health Scientist for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But she is quick to mention and give a lot of credit to her husband, Blair. He is also a Personal Trainer at the YMCA (in Greenville) with a degree in Sports Medicine.
They live in Powdersville and they just got married on June 6 in Disney World, but they have been together for close to four years. Tracy lit up when talking about the support from him.
“This man has seen me through my absolute worst – when I was going through all those surgeries,” Tracy said. “He’s seen me in the hospital whipping pillows across the room because I was so pissed that I woke up from another surgery not being healed. He would stay there and hold my hand. His knowledge surpasses mine when it comes to workouts and the recovery from the injury and self care. He’s been there for better or worse. We’ve just been an amazing team together.”
Added Blair, about his dedicated wife, “The word that comes to mind is steadfast. Once she made up her mind to have the amputation, she was immediately looking forward to all the things she would do after the surgery. There was zero time spent questioning the decision.”
Favorites:
College Football Team: Clemson
TV Show: Modern Family
Movie: Gone with the Wind
Local Restaurant: Antonio’s
Teacher Growing Up: Mrs. Wentzell (6th grade)
Music Group or Singer: Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nix
Reach Jeff Holt at 864-855-0355.