Candace Cable

Cable hailed from Southern California. She moved to South Lake Tahoe/Truckee, California after high school, lying about her age to get a job in a casino. She was injured in a car accident on the Kingsbury Grade in 1975 at the age of 21. Following the accident, without the use of her legs, she began feeling sorry for herself and became addicted to heroin. At the time she said “A person in a wheelchair is not supposed to have fun or be happy. I’m both. Besides, I get the best parking spaces at shopping centers, and I don’t have to wait in line at the movies.” She went through drug rehabilitation in 1978. She became acquainted with wheelchair sports while attending California State University, Long Beach first trying swimming before finding wheelchair racing could let her work out with able-bodied friends.

“We’re all only able-bodied temporarily. Sooner or later everyone’s body breaks down. That puts me ahead of the game because I already know how to live with part of me being out of order.”

After 4 months of training, Cable participated in the inaugural 1980 World Games for the disabled. 1984 Summer Olympics in wheelchair racing as an exhibition event, as well as the 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996 Summer Paralympic Games, and also five Winter Olympics. Cable won twelve Paralympic Medals of which eight were Gold medals. She was the first woman to medal in the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.