Cheri Blauwet

Cheri Blauwet, M.D. was born and raised on a farm near the small town of Larchwood, Iowa. She sustained a spinal cord injury in a farming accident as a young child, however, was immediately encouraged to be active, involved, and to see disability as simply another way of living rather than as an impairment. Upon entering high school, her track coach encouraged her to join the track team when he learned that Iowa held sanctioned wheelchair events at the state finals. By her sophomore year she had set records at the state level and began competing nationally. In the fall of 1998 Cheri began her academic and racing career at The University of Arizona. She became the captain of the wheelchair track and road racing team and continued to realize her athletic potential. In 2000, she became a name on the international scene, bringing home 1 silver and 3 bronze medals from the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Since then, she has achieved resounding success on the international elite racing circuit. Some of her outstanding finishes include:

Top finishes:

• Winner, 2003 and 2004 New York City Marathon
• Winner, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2008 Los Angeles Marathon.
• Winner, 2004 and 2005 Boston Marathon
• Gold Medal, 2004 Athens Paralympic Games: 800 meters
• Bronze Medals, 2004 Athens Paralympic Games: 5000 meters and Marathon
• U.S. Paralympic Team member: Sydney, Athens, and Beijing Paralympic Games

Awards and Honors, on the Track:

• Nominee, 2004 and 2005 ESPY Award: Best Athlete with a Disability
• Nominee, 2004 Women's Sports Foundation: Sportswoman of the Year
• Nominee, 2005 Laureus World Sport Award: World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disaibility

Awards and Honors, off the Track:

• Ambassador, International Paralympic Commitee
• Winner, 2004 American Association of People with Disabilities Paul Hearne Leadership Award
• Winner, 2008 American Public Health Association Disability Section Student Leadership Award
• All time high score, Blauwet Family Iowa Farm Retreat Pie-baking Contest
• Winner, 2003 and 2004 New York City Marathon
• Winner, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2008 Los Angeles Marathon.
• Winner, 2004 and 2005 Boston Marathon
• Gold Medal, 2004 Athens Paralympic Games: 800 meters
• Bronze Medals, 2004 Athens Paralympic Games: 5000 meters and Marathon