Overcoming Obstacles: Lance Magin
By Brewster Thackeray
Photography by the Manufacturer
It has become a natural part of the overall desert landscape, not unlike Joshua trees and dust devils. Come racing season for off-road trucks, Lance Magin's black Ford Explorer can be spotted blazing across some southwestern landscape carrying the Ford Mobility Motoring banner high. An ambassador for the Ford Mobility Motoring Program for four years, few would equate Magin's "condition" with any form of disability. His prowess in racing his hand control-equipped Ford is well known by his competition. Carrying a full schedule of races into 2006, Magin has again become the force in the highly competitive off-road desert racing series.
Magin is the first person who has paraplegia licensed to drive in NASCAR and to compete in the Baja 1000. He and his Ford Racing team recently won his Class 3000 category in the Best of the Desert Racing Series and will compete in his 14th consecutive year in 2006. Injured in a motorcycle crash at the age of 18, Magin, a Paralympic Champion, has more than overcome his challenges continuing to compete as an athlete. Magin's most important duty these days is spreading the word about products that help people with disabilities improve their mobility, be it simply entering and exiting a vehicle or driving of adapted vehicles. A regular part of many auto shows, Magin is a spokesperson for the Ford Mobility Motoring Program at the Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland Automotive Shows. Magin commonly fields questions from consumers who either are unaware of the mobility assistance programs or just need a little help understanding the complete operation of the products.
"It's a true case of most people not understanding it until they see what is possible," said Magin. "When they see me climb into my Ford F350 Super Duty pickup at a show, they finally get it. With my vehicles, I have a relatively low number of mobility modifications. I pull myself up in the driver's seat without any assistance and then I fold up the wheelchair and pull it in over me to the passenger side. They have to see that to fully understand what goes on."
Magin realizes he is also somewhat unique in his abilities, and is sensitive to the fact that important mobility products that help lift individuals require other accessories to help them achieve the same end. As a result, Magin works closely with Ford engineers, advising them on how to make their products more user friendly for physically challenged individuals.
"The key is to overcome obstacles," noted Magin. "Ford has helped me to inform others as to how to overcome the obstacles in their lives. Products like the Braun Companion seat, which drops down from the vehicle and turns out to allow transfer from a wheelchair to the vehicle seat and then, via a remote control, pulls them up into the vehicle, are wonderful devices. The word obstacle is not in my vocabulary."