Cheri Blauwet (born May 15, 1980) is an American physician and Paralympic wheelchair racer. She is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Sports Medicine, is associate professor of PM&R at Harvard Medical School and an attending physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.[1] She has competed at the Paralympic level in events ranging from the 100 meters to the marathon.[2]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's athletics | ||
Representing the  United States
| ||
| Paralympic Games | ||
 |
2004 Athens | 800 m T53 |
 |
2000 Sydney | 100 m T53 |
 |
2000 Sydney | 200 m T53 |
|
2000 Sydney | 400 m T53 |
|
2000 Sydney | 800 m T53 |
|
2004 Athens | 5000 m T54 |
|
2004 Athens | marathon T54 |
In 2023 she became chair of the board of governors of the Boston Athletic Association.[3]
Early life and education
editBlauwet grew up in Larchwood, Iowa,[2] in a farming family.[4] She has used a wheelchair since the age of 18 months, following a farming accident resulting in a spinal cord injury located at the T10 vertebra. She began racing in high school when she was recruited by her school's track and field coach.[5] She later attended the University of Arizona, where she was a member of the school's wheelchair racing team, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in molecular and cellular biology. She attended Stanford University School of Medicine, completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, and completed a sports medicine fellowship at Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.[1]
Racing career
editBlauwet began her sporting career as a wheelchair sprinter, but later focused on longer distances.[4] At the 2000 Summer Paralympics, she won a silver medal in the 100 m and three bronzes in the 200 m, 400 m, and 800 m events. She competed in her first marathon in Japan in 2002, and two weeks later won the New York City race, her second marathon.[4] She then went on to win the New York City Marathon twice (2002, 2003), the Boston Marathon twice (2004, 2005), and the Los Angeles Marathon four times (2003, 2004, 2005, and 2008).[2]
At the 2004 Olympic Games, she finished 5th in the demonstration sport of Women's 800m wheelchair. She also participated in the 2004 Summer Paralympics, where she won gold in the 800 m, bronze in the 5000 m, and another bronze in the marathon. She was also a member of the 2008 USA Paralympic team in Beijing. Blauwet was named a member of the 2002 USA Today All-USA Academic Team and has been nominated for the ESPY Award, the Laureus World Sports Award, and Women's Sports Foundation Athlete of the Year.[2][6]
Medical career
editBlauwet attended Stanford University School of Medicine, graduating in 2009.[7] She completed an internship in internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in 2010 and a residency in PM&R in 2013 at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School, where she served as Chief Resident.[1] She completed a fellowship in sports medicine at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in 2014.[8] She is currently assistant professor of PM&R at Harvard Medical School and an Attending Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where she specializes in sports medicine.[1]
She has published numerous scientific papers focusing on sports medicine, adaptive sports and exercise, and women in medicine.[9] She was the recipient of the Harold Amos Diversity Award from Harvard Medical School in 2016, which recognized her excellence in promoting research and clinical care for athletes with disabilities as well as promoting opportunities for faculty and trainees with disabilities.[10] She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Emerson College during their 135th Commencement Ceremony in 2015[11] and was named by the Boston Chamber of Commerce as one of Boston's Ten Outstanding Young Leaders in 2016.[12]
Blauwet has taken on many leadership and advocacy roles, focusing on promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle for individuals with disabilities. She currently serves as Chairperson of the International Paralympic Committee's Medical Commission,[13] is on the board of directors for the United States Olympic Committee[14] as well as the International Olympic Committee Medical and Scientific Commission,[15] and serves as the Disability Access and Awareness Director for Spaulding Rehabilitation Network.[16] She previously served on the board of directors of the United States Anti-Doping Agency,[17] the Neilsen Foundation Quality of Life Grant Review Board,[10] and was a member of the Boston 2024 Olympic Bid Committee.[18] She spoke on the floor of the United Nations in 2015 for the UN International Day of Sport for Development and Peace[19] and was keynote speaker at the Boston celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.[18] She traveled to Ethiopia and Angola in 2006 with the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation Sports for Life program, where she helped to educate communities on the rights of individuals with disabilities as well as establish sustainable sports programs.[20] She remains an advocate for individuals with disabilities through lectures, interviews and commercials.[5][21][22][23][24][25]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Cheri Blauwet". Brigham and Women's Hospital. 2018. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Cheri Blauwet". United States Olympic Committee. 2018. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ Picazo, Raúl Daffunchio (November 16, 2023). "From multiple Paralympic medalist to Chair of the Board of Governors of the BAA". insidethegames.bi. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c Lichtenstein, Grace (November 4, 2002). THE MARATHON: WHEELCHAIR COMPETITION; Swiss Legislator Wins Without Vote. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b "Cheri Blauwet". PBS. 2018. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "All-USA College Academic First Team". USA Today. February 26, 2002. Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ "Medical school graduates encouraged to become agents for change". Stanford Report. June 17, 2009. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine Spine and Sports Fellowship" (PDF). Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "PubMed". National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2018. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ^ a b "Dr. Cheri Blauwet Honored with Harold Amos Diversity Award by Harvard Medical School". Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. 2016. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Emerson College's 135th Commencement Ceremonies to Honor: Celebrated Broadcaster Robin Roberts; Paralympic Medalist, Marathon Winner Cheri Blauwet, MD; Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey; and Arts Leader Anne Hawley". Emerson College. April 24, 2015. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Chamber Announces Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Honorees". Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. October 5, 2016. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ^ "International Paralympic Committee Medical Commission". International Paralympic Committee. 2018. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors". United States Olympic Committee. 2018. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "International Olympic Committee Medical and Scientific Commission". International Olympic Committee. 2018. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ^ "Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center". Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. 2018. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "U.S. Olympic Committee Announces Addition Of Three-Time Paralympian Dr. Cheri Blauwet To Board Of Directors". United States Olympic Committee. January 5, 2017. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ a b "The ADA celebrates 25 years, but progress still needed". The Boston Globe. November 3, 2015. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Ban calls on world's athletes to help bolster emerging new UN sustainability agenda". UN News. April 15, 2015. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Paralympian, marathon champion, Cheri Blauwet, teams up to promote Sports for Life". West Lyon Herald. March 29, 2006. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ "Balance between study, personal life fosters greater sensitivity as physician". Stanford Medicine News. June 9, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "A Day in the Life of Work: No Brakes". Fast Company. September 1, 2004. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "United States of America: Cheri Blauwet". World Health Organization. 2018. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Killion: You should know Cheri Blauwet". The Mercury News. September 5, 2008. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Sports Medicine Fellowship Scholarly Activity" (PDF). Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.