With Rachel Chapin Martinez, long red hair, an infectious smile and a Mrs. California crown are what sit on the surface. What lies beneath is a harrowing tale of survival.
The Chicago native and former military intelligence specialist has suffered brain trauma, partial paralysis and facial reconstructive surgery. Now living in Pacific Grove, she is a personal trainer and a professional coach working in the fields of trauma, transformation and leadership.
She’s also an advocate for trauma survivors, victims of human trafficking and veterans with “invisible injuries.”
While preparing to compete for the title of Mrs. United States in Las Vegas, Chapin Martinez has also found time to host workshops for military rehabilitation, write an autobiography and pursue her yoga teaching certification.
The Weekly spoke with her in the shade of a cypress tree at the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary. Part of her story: How an encounter with a shower spigot ended up changing the course of her life.
Weekly: What was your first traumatic injury?
Chapin Martinez: In 2005, I was in training for the Army in California. I wanted to be a high-speed soldier. My injury happened at a “G.I. cleaning party” [when soldiers scrub down their barracks before an inspection]. Someone had yelled in my ear, and as a reaction I hit my head on a shower spigot, then blacked out. I went to medical six months after the injury occurred. I started losing language skills. I began to feel frustrated and really upset. One day I just passed out on the [physical training] field. I thought it was exhaustion and I was “hooah” all the way. That’s when they found a brain tumor. I thought, it’s overcome-able.
But that turned out to be just the start of your health problems.
The 2005 brain injury went unnoticed until 2007. While serving in the military I began to develop partial paralysis, and later, heart failure. In 2008, when I left the Army I had partial left leg paralysis and had to undergo facial reconstructive surgery, which also occurred during the planning of my wedding. I was also still suffering additional brain trauma repercussions from 2011 until 2013 from my time in the military.
How did you get through all the medical procedures that followed?
I have pins and plates in my face, but I believe the body can heal itself. I gave my body what it needed to get better, whether it was fish oil or Ambrotose [a powdered immune-boosting supplement]. A chiropractor helped me with a curvature in my spine and informed me about natural healing options.
What made you decide to do pageants?
I had a lot of injuries – enough so that I was kind of curled up in a corner to heal. The practice to walk and talk would be a goal to strive for. I wanted to get better and do better, to have purpose. Being crowned was a distant dream at the time.
How are you preparing for the Mrs. United States pageant?
I’m so excited, but I may need to to tell myself, “No more cookies!” Getting ready for pageants is my life. I ran for Mrs. California through two additional brain injuries. I truly felt marred for a while, with countless hurdles to overcome. But directors of the pageant had great words of encouragement. The pageant girls and directors gave me that heart.
Yoga is important to you, but some might say it’s strange to go from military to meditative.
I think anyone can benefit from meditation. People find a place that’s centered and calm. I believe the military would really benefit from meditation. I know that they have started to offer yoga classes at [the Defense Language Institute]. I hope to volunteer there as a yoga instructor and get my license.
Trauma victims, especially military, need to exercise both mentally and physically.
But you’re also a bit of an adrenaline-junkie, right?
I went skydiving recently on Memorial Day 2011, which had a lot of significance for me. In the video of being in the plane before the jump, you see my face. I’m like an excited and scared little kid. My instructor jumping with me was Russian and spoke very little English. He was also 6 inches shorter than me, so we just rolled over when we landed on the ground.
The best moment happened when he looked over at me, after my profuse apology for landing on him, and said, “No problem.” I thought the moment summed my life up symbolically: to fall really hard and just be able to roll over and smile.