Former Alabama adaptive athlete Cindy Ouellet was named Female Sports Personality of the Decade at the 48th Gala Sports Quebec.

 

Ouellet began playing wheelchair basketball in 2005 after being diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 12. Since then, Ouellet has played in the Paralympic Games, the World Championships, Parapan American Games, and the Canada Games where she took home a first-place gold medal.

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In 2011, Ouellet was part of Canada’s first-ever Women’s U25 National Team where she competed at the World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Ontario, Canada. Ouellet was named to the all-star team and was named MVP.

 

During her time at Alabama, Ouellet earned her bachelors and master’s degree. She also started her PhD in biomedical engineering before transferring to the University of Southern California. Ouellet was credited with leading the Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball team to a national championship in 2011 and 2015.

 

Ouellet is also passionate about important causes and charities. She works closely with Defi sportif AlterGo and the Together Against Bullying campaign set up by the Government of Quebec. Defi sportif AlterGo is the largest annual multisport event in Canada. Their mission aims to promote adapted athletics. As stated on their website, Defi sportif AlterGo, “contributes to the universal accessibility of sports facilities as well as that of activities and sporting events, in order to facilitate the participation of people with functional limitations.”

Ouellet has inspired many around her and expresses her gratitude by saying “I am proud to have stayed close to my family and to have stayed close to the causes that are close to my heart. I do what I love, I stayed on my own and I have continued to help as many people as possible.”

You can read the original story in French here.

Ouellet is currently training for the Tokyo Paralympic Games set to take place this August 2021.

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