Texan Michelle Colvard was born with spina bifida and has used a wheelchair full-time since the sixth grade, but it doesn’t seem to have slowed her down much. The self-proclaimed motorhead races her MINI Cooper in autocross competitions and was the class B 2006 Driver of the Year.
Michelle and her husband, Brian, are both MINI owners and racers. She steers an LY Cooper convertible, and he presses the pedal on a blue Checkmate Edition S.
Wheelchair User Chooses Autocross
Autocross is a variety of car racing that takes place on a large, paved area such as a parking lot or airfield. The driving course, which is designed to take about 40 to 70 seconds to negotiate, is marked with traffic cones. Because the course is different every time, competitors often walk through before a race, making mental notes of tight turns and short transitions.
Cars go through singly, and race each other for time. Emphasis is on the skill of the driver to handle the car, which can be anything from an economy sedan to a specially built race car, with different classes for different types of automobiles.
Accessible Auto Sport
Although autocross is relatively slow, usually not exceeding highway speeds, the agility required to navigate the large number of turns often exceeds even Formula One racing. But the similarities end there. Safe for both car and driver, and low-cost, autocross gives active drivers without huge bank accounts the chance to participate in a popular sport.
Michelle's vehicle of choice is the MINI Cooper convertible. Made by BMW, it's marketed as a small yet desirable city car. Taking the roof down or up is a fully automatic process, which makes it perfect for someone with a disability. It can even be left partially open to function as a sunroof.
But Michelle, who lives in Houston when she's not maintaining a busy travel schedule, does much more than tear up the track.
Modeling Personal Responsibility
With a master’s degree in health promotion from The University of Texas School of Public Health, Michelle is a proponent of the importance of people of all abilities taking responsibility for their own health.
Modeling her belief, Michelle maintains her high level of fitness with regular gym visits plus a lot of fun, recreational activity. Snow skiing, basketball, kayaking and travel are all on her agenda in addition to her auto racing.
A Life of Public Service
Michelle serves as executive director of Houston’s Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and is a past chairperson of the Houston Commission on Disabilities. She garnered the American Institute for Public Service’s Jefferson Award in recognition of her volunteer service and was involved in the “Playgrounds Without Limits” project that gave Houston its first inclusive playground accessible to all children.
Promoting Advocacy and Awareness
A capable speaker, Michelle won the 2009 Ms. Wheelchair America competition, which recognizes contestants’ abilities in the areas of advocacy, achievement, communication and presentation. She’ll make numerous public appearances and conduct radio, print and TV interviews during her year-long reign.
Still, cars are never far from Michelle's mind. On her MySpace page, she lists two people she'd like to meet. One is Hillary Clinton. The other? Previous Indy Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick, who in 2008 became the first woman to win an Indy car race.
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