By: Kylie Miller
Michelle Marquis, her helmet in hand, and a nervous smile planted on her face.
Michelle Marquis’ dad had taken her to an Indi 500 race when she was a kid, and she knew it was love when she first set her eyes on the race cars. She had started with Formula Racing, then switched to BMX racing. “It’s a place I find my freedom,” Marquis said. Michelle had spotted her first BMX bike in Florida when she was visiting her grandparents. Close to her grandparents house was a bike store. The first thing Marquis had spotted was an on clearance BMX starter bike.
Marquis’ first summer at the track was basically the start of her BMX racing career. Marquis was the oldest at the camp, which had terrified her. As Marquis evolved her BMX career, she had taken the opportunity to be a U.S.A certified BMX coach. “It’s kinda in my nature to be a coach and to teach others,” Marquis said.
At one point, Marquis had left race car driving. It was hard for Marquis, but she knew she had a bright future ahead with BMX racing. “There are amazingly creative people in this sport,” Marquis said. Marquis had taken the time to learn about her team, one by one, which had shaped the aspiring race car driver she is this day. Marquis is currently taking a break from racing as a co-founder of Mosaic Health & Healing Arts in Goshen.