Cara Dunne-Yates

Cara Dunne-Yates (d. 2004) was a Harvard-eduated winner of medals in multiple sports at the Paralympics.

Battle with Cancer

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Dunne-Yates was diagnosed with retinal cancer as a child. She was blind by the age of five. After college, she was again diagnosed with cancer. She was treated for cancer in her cheekbone. In 2000, she was diagnosed with cancer for the third time and died on October 20, 2004.

Education

Ms. Dunne-Yates was graduated "magna cum laude" from Harvard in the class of 1992 with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. She had been class president. She went on to attend UCLA Law School

Paralympic Competition

1984 - winner of bronze medal for women's alpine combo
1984 - winner of bronze medal for women's downhill
1984 - winner of silver medal for women's giant slalom
1988 - winner of silver medal for women's downhill
1988 - winner of silver medal for women's giant slalom
1996 - winner of silver medal for mixed tandem cycling (1km)
1996 - winner of bronze medal for 200m sprint (cycling)

Family

Married Spencer Yates, a sighted cyclist who was the competitive partner of another blind athlete. She had a daughter in 2000 and a son in 2003.

Honors

2002 True Hero of Sports award from Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sports in Society
Served as Co-President of the New England Retinoblastoma Family Foundation
Fundraising is currently underway for a statue of Ms. Dunne-Yates to be placed at Challenge Aspen, an adaptive sports program in Colorado.

References

* [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2004/10/22/cara_dunne_yates_34_earned_medals_gave_inspiration_in_sports/ Article in Boston Globe]
* [http://www.acb.org/magazine/2005/bf022005-13.html article in The Braille Forum]
* [http://www.usoc.org/paralympics/news_51248.htm article at USOC]
* [https://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=1422 article at USA Cycling]