SAN DIEGO, CA (KGTV) — Rebecca Schnell makes a living driving monster trucks. She was introduced to the sport from her husband, who has been driving monster trucks for 15 years. Rebecca worked with her husband as a mechanic, until she got the itch to get behind the wheel.
"Essentially I just got tired of him breaking all the parts and me fixing them. I just said scoot over it's my turn," says Schnell.
Rebecca doesn't just drive any old monster truck, she sits behind the wheel of the legendary Bigfoot.
"Sometimes it's very surreal that I not only get to drive a monster truck, but I get to drive the original stomp, the Bigfoot machine. What is great, is that not only am I driving it, but to be a female in that monster truck."
So on weekends, all around the United States, Rebecca gets to drive the Bigfoot truck, smashing cars, and bringing the crowd to their feet. While safety is of the utmost importance, injuries are possible. If that is the case, Rebecca's second job comes in pretty handy.
"I am an emergency room nurse by trade."
Rebecca has been working as an emergency room nurse for nine years.
"Honestly, it's really awesome to see how the mechanism of injuries work and things as far as our scientific and our physiological studies go. With that knowledge, I then then try to wrap my head around driving a monster truck over a set of cars, which in your normal vehicle your supposed to get hurt right?"
Monster truck driver and emergency room nurse. Both jobs can be very intense. So which is the bigger adrenaline rush?
"It's about equal I would tell you honestly. They are just very different environments. It's a very different adrenaline fill. In the monster truck I get to see people smile and get to make very cool memories, and on the other side, I see people on their worst days and try to make them feel as best as they can."
