OUELLET Cindy

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (chatelaine.com, 09 Jul 2012)

Impairment Details
She was diagnosed with bone cancer in her left hip at age 12. She suffered nerve damage from the chemotherapy treatment she received. (NPC Media Guide, 2018; chatelaine.com, 09 Jul 2012)

General
MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE
As well as aiming to compete in wheelchair basketball at the postponed 2020 Paralympic Games, she also hopes to compete in Para Nordic skiing at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. "We're going to have to make some adjustments [to my schedule]. [In] cross-country skiing, I'm still brand new. It was in my plans to start my preparation [for Beijing] after Tokyo. For sure I will have to focus even more on basketball, and less on cross-country skiing. If there's just one year between the two Games, it may be hard for me to qualify but I'd still like to try my luck. I'm going to try to qualify for the Games, do some World Cups [in 2021] and we'll see what happens with that." (journaldemontreal.com, 17 May 2020; ici.radio-canada.ca, 13 Apr 2020)

COMIC BOOK STAR
In 2020 she was depicted in a comic book series entitled 'The Adventures of Cindy', which tells her story of overcoming bullying and depression in school to become a Paralympic athlete. "Starting high school is always an important step in a child's life. When I went back to high school, I had no hair, I was finishing my chemo. The kids were laughing at me. I was on crutches at the time, I didn't have a wheelchair yet. The kids were kicking my crutches so I would fall to the ground. It was a difficult time, because I didn't understand why. I've had cancer before, so why, on top of that, get bullied after getting through it all? These have been difficult stages in my life, but I think it has made me stronger. I grew up reading comics, but it's funny to see myself as a superhero now. It's mostly for a good cause. We, the top athletes, are always seen as superheroes but we have our ups and downs and it's also important to talk about the lows I've had and how I've overcome them. I got help, I went to get help, from my family or from organisations like Sport'Aide. This is important because it is often said that going for help is for the weak. But in fact, those who go for help are for me the strongest people." (ici.radio-canada.ca, 16 Nov 2020)

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
She admits that during the COVID-19 pandemic she struggled mentally with the isolation. She works closely with the charity Sport'Aide and says she is now trying to help other athletes address their own mental health problems. "I couldn't play sports anymore, I was at home confined and I couldn't see my team. I had anxiety and I fell into depression. So I thought I had to go to a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Someone who was going to be able to help me. I'm talking about it, because I don't think it's a weakness, but rather a strength to get help. Unfortunately, there are too many athletes waiting for the rope to be stretched to the limit. Sometimes the rope breaks and you can't go back." (cimtchau.ca, 13 Jan 2021; ici.radio-canada.ca, 13 Apr 2020)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She studied for a PhD in biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA, United States of America. Her ambition is to do research for prostheses and work in neuromuscular technology and nanotechnology. (montrealgazette.com, 24 Aug 2017; plus.lapresse.ca, 22 Feb 2017; paralympic.ca, 13 Aug 2019; Facebook profile, 19 Mar 2021)