For Tracy LaMarche, cycling is about far more than crossing a finish line.

It’s about freedom.

Three years ago, after enduring nine surgeries in an attempt to save her right leg, Tracy made the difficult decision to undergo an above-knee amputation. It was a life-changing choice, but one she has never looked back on.

Like many people adapting to limb loss, mobility became one of her biggest challenges. Everyday movement required more thought and more effort than before.

Then she got back on a bike.

“One of the reasons that I ride is that it gives me a sense of freedom,” Tracy says. “When I’m on a bike, I am able to move just as easily as everybody else. We’re kind of on an equal playing field.”

That feeling of equality is what keeps bringing her back.

As an above-knee amputee, Tracy has the option to ride with a prosthetic leg or without one. She chooses to race without her prosthesis so she can compete alongside athletes with similar classifications in adaptive cycling.

For Tracy, competition isn’t only about physical ability. It’s about resilience.

“We all have demons that we’re fighting,” she says. “Being mentally and physically strong together can help carry you through and help you keep a positive attitude no matter what life throws at you.”

When Tracy began looking for adaptive cycling events through USA Cycling, she discovered El Tour de Tucson listed as an adaptive-friendly event. That search eventually connected her with Team Access.

What she found was more than an event.

It was a community.

“This has opened my eyes to a much broader and more inclusive community than I even knew was possible.”

Through Team Access, Tracy found herself surrounded by cyclists of every ability level who shared the same passion for riding. The common bond wasn’t disability—it was the joy of being on a bike.

“That’s what I love about cycling,” she says. “Once we get on a bike, we are all one and the same.”

That sense of belonging has transformed more than her cycling.

“My world was a little bit smaller before all of this,” Tracy reflects. “Being a cyclist and being an adaptive athlete now, I have two brand-new worlds, and I’m able to connect all of them together. My life is just so rich now and so full.”

Tracy’s story reminds us that inclusion creates opportunities that extend far beyond race day. When barriers are removed, people gain more than access to an event—they find confidence, friendships, and communities that continue long after the ride is over.

At Team Access, that’s what we’re building: a place where every adaptive athlete can experience the freedom of cycling and the power of belonging.