With the world eagerly awaiting the 2012 Summer Olympics, Mike LaMarca’s mind is already on 2016. LaMarca, a 2005 Chartiers Valley graduate, hopes to participate in the next Paralympic Games.
As he pursues his own dream of competing in the Paralympics and having a professional racing career, he’s also on a mission to help others along the way.
“Right now I’m in the process of starting a charity to raise money for people with disabilities who would like to participate in wheel chair sports,” says LaMarca.
LaMarca hopes “The Michael LaMarca Racing Fund” – the charity he’s in the process of creating – will support young people who have sustained life altering injuries. As part of his charity, LaMarca is envisioning what he calls the “Get Up and Move” campaign. His goal is to visit places like the Squirrel Hill Rehabilitation Institute and reach kids who are just coming out of surgeries.
“Just because you’re in a wheel chair doesn’t mean you have limitations in life,” says LaMarca. “You don’t have to sit in front of a TV all day. You still have a lot to offer the world.”
While the mission of his charity is to help young people with disabilities reach their potential, he’s also trying to prevent accidents from happening in the first place. LaMarca’s own life changed forever when he was five years old and involved in a serious bike accident.
“My accident was really an eye opener to helmet safety and the laws in Pennsylvania,” explained LaMarca.
In Pennsylvania, children are only
required to wear a helmet until they are 12 years of age. Nearly everywhere else in the country requires the use of helmets until children are at least 16 – with many laws extending the age requirement beyond that.
“I want to raise awareness of bike and scooter safety and the importance of helmets,” says LaMarca. “I want to teach kids that they’re not invincible.”
As LaMarca puts the pieces of his charity in place while pursuing his own dream of racing, he’s also focused on school. Now a graduating senior at California State University of Pennsylvania, LaMarca plans to attend law school or business school after he completes his undergrad degree in December.
Interested in supporting The Michael LaMarca Racing Fund? Email us at
publicrelations@cvsd.net and we’ll put you in touch with Mike.
Pictured above: Mike LaMarca (front) with Tom Bradley (R), Officer Bill Oslick and Oslick's daughters. All were at Chartiers Valley in May to help with the Life Skills Prom.
