Candace Cable is a game changer.
In her fist Ready, Set, Gold! visit, Candace introduced herself to the 5th, 6th and 7th graders at Arroyo Seco Museum Science Magnet. She shared her story of how she became a paraplegic, what led her to the Paralympics, and how she uses her platform to educate others about disabilities.
Before telling the students about her athletic accomplishments, she told the students about her disability.
Candace was in a car accident when she was 21 which resulted in a spinal cord injury. After the accident, Candace tried to find ways to be a part of her community and feel included again. This search led her to adaptive sports. For Candace it was never about the medals.
"In the very beginning, I wanted to spend time with my friends. Then, as time went on, I realized I could use my sport for good."
“It was about the community experience...about me testing myself to be a better me and facing my fears.”
"After people hear these stories they start to believe in themselves to and brave," she told the students. "I hear them say 'I can do that'. That is truly the power of sport."
Candace's athletic accomplishments are unparalleled. She is a 12-time Paralympic medalist and was the first American women to win medals in the both the winter and summer Paralympic Games. She also competed in the first-ever Olympic wheelchair racing event in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Just last month, Candace was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame 2019 Class and Ready, Set, Gold! is thrilled to have her as a longtime part of its program.