Today we’d like to introduce you to Margarita Elizondo.
Margarita, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I can still recall the first time I heard God’s voice. It was the night I was shot in the neck. The bullet entered my neck and came out of my back, severing my spinal cord. When the man who shot me ran away, he crossed paths with my 13-year-old daughter as he exited the hallway which leads to my room. She ran in and found me lying on my bed in a pool of blood. My brother ran in right behind her, and as she dialed 911, he placed his thumb in the hole my neck and three fingers in the hole in my back to stop the immense flow of blood. My brother then asked me about my cousin, Jose Alvaro “Varo”, who had been with me the entire day and had just left my house with the shooter. At that very moment it hit me, my cousin Varo had to be dead!
My Angel
As I was being rushed down the ER hallway, I woke up gasping for air and heard a nurse ask me if I could feel my legs. I shook my head, “no”. I began praying and that’s when I heard God’s peaceful, comforting voice for the very first time,
“Breath Maggie, breath!”
The next thing I heard was the same nurse questioning, “Who are we going to save, her or the baby?” At that very moment, I felt my son’s spirit leave my body.
Waking Up In ICU
Two weeks later, I woke up in ICU to the sound of a drill and my hair being ripped out of my head. The screws secured a halo and rods connected to a chest brace used to secure my neck and back. When I woke up, I learned that Varo was shot twice in the head and that he and my son did not survive. I was told I would be dependent on a breathing machine for the rest of my life and that I would never speak again, nor have movement from the neckline down. As I laid in ICU all alone, I began to pray and God answered. The first thing removed, was the breathing machine and slowly but surely all the other wires and tubes were too! My arms which were once paralyzed and propped up with pillows and my hands which were in braces began moving. Eventually, I was even able to speak again.
Giving Back
I learned from speaking and help others that there is true healing for myself when helping others so I founded, Blessed with Life, a faith-based peer support program for people with disabilities and their families. That lead to many more opportunities including my competing for Ms. Wheelchair California and eventually working again! Now, as a Motivational Speaker, Entrepreneur, Model, Dancer and Author.
My family and I founded my nonprofit Rolling With Me, a year ago to create more awareness on the importance of inclusion. Our aim is to educate on the importance of inclusion in our community and create recreational, leisure, and sports activities that are adaptive and inclusive to all abilities. As a way to reach young children, I wrote a series of children’s books that focus on disability etiquette. I’m working on self-publishing two books in November.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey is a daily challenge. The first thing I had to learn was patience then learn how to ask for help and accept help. I tell people that beyond mobility my greatest loss was dignity. I went from being fully independent to completely dependent on my most basic needs. It is a humbling experience but also a strengthening lesson. As humans, we learn quickly to adapt to any situation and when we suffer loss or tragedy we learn to appreciate life differently.
What has gotten me to where I am today, I owe to my children. They were my inspiration to stay alive and now, my strength to survive. Not only have both of my daughter been my caregivers they both help me with the nonprofit. They both have pursued careers working with individuals with disabilities and that helps our nonprofit as well because we get to partner from time to time with their employers and work together on projects or events.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Rolling With Me – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Guest Speaker
A year after being paralyzed in 2006, I began speaking in churches and schools. In 2013, I was crowned Ms. Wheelchair California 2013 and in 2019, I was crowned Mi Modelo Especial. I have used my titles as a platform to educate the public on the importance of fully including individuals with disabilities in our communities and also to share my faith as Christian.
Author
I am the author of a children’s book series, Rolling With Me & Friends which teaches children disability etiquette through fun stories. The first book ”I Really Need To Pee” comes out in November 2016 and you can find it on Amazin or Kindle. My writing has also been published in various publications including:
Abilities Expo, The Buzz
Wheel:Life.org
Mobil Womens
Dancer
Before my injury, I was a dancer and rediscovered dance as a wheelchair dancer through the San Diego Wheelchair Dancers Organization. I now travel the country as an Abilities Expo Ambassador sharing my love for dance.
Nonprofit
We create events in the community that encourage inclusion and educate the key value in humanity which is that every life regardless of age, ethnicity, belief, background or ability has a purpose and deserves the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Our next event is our 4th Annual Women of All Abilitites Conference, Each By Name on November 16, 2016 from 12:00-4 pm in La Mesa, CA. There is no fee to register. Follow this link: https://rollingwithme.org/each-by-name?olsPage=products
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Having a mentor is in every aspect of your life is to your success because it is important to continue growing and developing yourself but also important to have someone who keeps you accountable for the goals you have set for yourself. A mentor is not always easy to identify especially if you don’t know where to look. I found the women and leaders of my church to be great mentors that keep accountable for my personal and spiritual growth. I have also found social media groups with an entrepreneurial focus to be a great resource for business goals and ideas on how to meet those goals. What I have found most effective is identifying a successful woman with a similar business venture as mine and not copy her, but definitely mimic many of the things that she has done to achieve her level of success only doing them based on my brand, my own ideas, and my own goals.
Networking is a vital component to success! It opens doors you would never imagine possible. The most important part of networking is not always how many people you meet at an event or platform. Get involved as much as possible, you never know who you might meet that will take your business or personal goals to the next level.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rollingwithme.org & www.margaritaelizondo.com
- Phone: 619 634-9080
- Email: info@rollingwithme.org
- Instagram: rollingwith_me & margaritaelizondo_official
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margarita.marguetelizondo
- Twitter: @maggietelizondo or @rollingwith_me
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/rollingwithme/
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