Continued From Last Week...

Back to School

McShane’s Navy service ended in 2001, but her interest in healthcare remained. She had originally hoped to become a hospital corpsman, and after returning to civilian life, she pursued medical training in San Diego.
She earned certifications involving medical assisting, electrocardiography and radiology. The woman who once struggled to find a reason to attend college was now collecting credentials.

Her education eventually led to a research assistant position in epidemiology at the University of California, San Diego, where she participated in clinical medication research. She enjoyed the scientific side of healthcare and the chance to work in an academic environment.

McShane later returned to Wisconsin and worked in cardiology and family medicine through UW Medical Foundation. But she still had other interests.

Computers and website development caught her attention, and she eventually moved to Las Vegas with plans to build websites for local businesses. The business idea didn’t work out quite as expected.

What followed was another adventure. McShane and her boyfriend at the time acquired a 1979 Dodge motorhome and started traveling. The aging vehicle became memorable for its mechanical problems. She joked that it seemed to need a new alternator more often than gasoline.

Over roughly two and a half years, they traveled throughout the Southwest and along the West Coast, eventually spending time near Mesa, Arizona. The Navy had already given McShane a taste for travel, but the motorhome offered a considerably less reliable means of transportation.

Eventually, she decided she’d had enough of living on the road and returned to Wisconsin.

Stronger Than She Looks

Back in Wisconsin, McShane developed an interest in running and eventually discovered weightlifting. What began as a fitness pursuit grew into participation in bodybuilding, powerlifting and strongman competitions.
She recalled bench pressing approximately 285 pounds, squatting 315 pounds and deadlifting about 345 pounds. Although she wasn’t pursuing a professional athletic career, she enjoyed the competition and became increasingly interested in anatomy, strength and physical performance.

That interest eventually led her toward massage therapy. McShane enrolled at the East-West Healing Arts Institute, combining what she had learned through healthcare and athletics.

One of her instructors turned out to be someone she remembered from childhood. When McShane was 16, she had developed a persistent case of hives. Conventional treatments hadn’t provided the relief her family hoped for, so her mother took her to an acupuncturist named Dr. Joe Zhou.

Years later, Zhou was one of her instructors. The encounter brought back the memory of her teenage visit.
By 2016, McShane had entered the massage therapy profession. Her healthcare background and interest in anatomy gave her a foundation for the work.

Marshfield and Magic Mary

McShane didn’t initially plan to settle in Marshfield. Her connection to the community began through fitness and friendships. After meeting a personal trainer from the area, she started making weekend trips to central Wisconsin.

Those visits introduced her to Stacy Wolf and Luanne Sojka, who invited her to provide massage services through Off the Mat Yoga Studio. Several times a year, McShane traveled to Marshfield for what became a combination working visit and getaway with friends.

Then came 2020. With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting life in Madison, McShane decided to make Marshfield her permanent home. Around the same time, several former Navy shipmates began reconnecting through social media after years of limited contact.

They exchanged photographs, family updates and memories of their time aboard the Pearl Harbor. Among them was Face, the supervisor who had once insisted she finish her work properly. He even traveled to visit McShane. More than two decades after serving together, they remained friends.

In Marshfield, McShane continued building a life around her work and the people she met. Through Elite Massage, local residents came to know her affectionately as “Magic Mary.”

Her work brings together her medical background, experience with strength sports and interest in the human body. She continues to follow research involving massage therapy and the effects of therapeutic touch, while enjoying the relationships she develops with clients.

What began as occasional weekend visits has become a permanent home. The friendships and connections she’s developed in Marshfield have given her reasons to stay.

Five Minutes Aboard the Dirty Pearl

McShane has advice for young people who haven’t figured out what they want to do. She knows something about that situation.

“When you find something that sparks your interest, run towards it with your whole heart and then allow that interest to evolve,” she said.

She also has a perspective on women veterans that she wishes more people understood.

“We are as varied as ice cream flavors,” she said.

After so many years away from the Navy, McShane still remembers the Pearl Harbor and the people who served aboard it.

Asked where she would go if she could return to the Dirty Pearl for just five minutes, she didn’t need much time to think.

Her old rack. That’s what sailors call their bunks.

She figured she could probably still find it.

Then came one final question. When someone thanks her for her military service, what goes through her mind?

Her answer was immediate.

“You were worth it.”