Endure Series Spotlight: Carolina Garcia

Meet Carolina

Carolina is a marathoner originally from Argentina, now living in Dallas, Texas. She’s an entrepreneur, a runner, and a rising name in elite distance running. After falling in love with the marathon in 2020, she began chasing ambitious goals — and quickly gained momentum. In 2023, she won the Argentinian National Championship, earning a spot at the South American Championships.

She now trains with Bat City Track Club, a competitive team based in Austin, TX with a roster that includes former NCAA athletes, Olympic Trials qualifiers, and elite regional runners.

An Unexpected Diagnosis

While training for the South American Championships, Carolina was suddenly struggling to finish workouts that were usually routine. She thought she was overtraining. Dehydrated. Burnt out.

“I just realized something was actually wrong,” she said. It escalated quickly. Carolina was rushed to the ER, where she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes — a life-changing moment for anyone, let alone an elite marathoner. But her first instinct wasn’t fear. It was about running

“I remember asking the ER doctor, ‘Can I run again?’” she said. “They laughed and said yes — but reminded me we had to make it out of the hospital first.”

Endurance in Real Time

Just one week after leaving the hospital, Carolina started running again. But the mental and emotional weight of her diagnosis was heavy.

“There was so much uncertainty. I didn’t know if my body could still handle the miles. Or if I should even be trying,” she said.

Her first race post-diagnosis, the Houston Marathon, didn’t go as planned — she had to stop at the halfway mark. But instead of calling it a setback, she treated it as a checkpoint.

Then came the Napa Valley Marathon.

“I went into that race with fear. But mile after mile, I just kept going. I passed the halfway point, then hit mile 20, and I thought — this is happening.”

Carolina didn’t just finish the race — she won it, becoming the second-fastest female marathoner with type 1 diabetes.

“Winning wasn’t the goal. Finishing was. And proving to myself that I could still do hard things.”

Strength Beyond the Finish Line

Carolina isn’t done. She has goals — big ones. She’s dreaming of representing Argentina on the Olympic stage one day, no matter how long it takes.

Even before her diagnosis, Carolina had the word “endure” tattooed on her hand. At the time, it was a personal mantra — but looking back, she says it’s taken on even more meaning. It’s a quiet reminder of everything she’s overcome, the miles she’s logged, and the many more still ahead. And in a fitting twist, it echoes Swiftwick’s own tagline: Engineered to Endure.

“Every time I see it, it’s a reminder that I can do hard things. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. But I’m not done yet.”

Carolina’s journey is an example of what it means to endure. Her story reminds us that setbacks don’t have to define us, and that resilience often comes one mile at a time.

Introducing the Endure Series

Carolina’s story is just the beginning. The Endure Series highlights athletes who push through challenges, keep moving forward, and inspire us all to do the same. Follow along as we share more stories of endurance, grit, and determination from athletes across the country—and see how Swiftwick supports every step of the journey.