Career
Garkushina was born in a working-class family in a small village in Lipetsk Oblast. After moving to Tula, she graduated with a degree of house painter and decorator and practiced this profession first in Tula (1963–1964) and then in Irkutsk (1964–1965). In parallel, she trained in cycling.
After retiring from competition, she worked as a post office clerk (1980–1982) and then as a cycling coach (1982–1985).
From 1985 till retirement in 1993 she worked at machinery plants in Tula. In 2010, she became an honorary citizen of the city.
