John Moffet is joined by Candace Cable, a nine-time U.S. Winter and Summer Paralympian, a pioneer in paralympic sports, and a global disability activist.
In today’s episode of SPORTS + LIFE + BALANCE, Candace shares the story of how she found herself adrift, depressed, and addicted to drugs after a life-changing car accident that left her paralyzed. After months in rehab, she enrolled in Long Beach State where she discovered her knack for swimming and wheelchair racing.
Since her first Paralympics in 1980, Candace has won twelve medals including eight golds in track racing, cross-country, and alpine skiing. She has won an unprecedented 84 marathons around the globe including six victories in the Boston Marathon… and in 2019 Candace was inducted into the U.S. Olympic + Paralympic Hall of Fame.
Read more about ableism from Talila "TL" Lewis:
https://www.talilalewis.com/blog/january-2021-working-definition-of-ableism
Learn more about the #WeThe15 Campaign:
The We The 15 campaign is a 10-year campaign to bring people with disabilities into an equitable space in the world in all areas. It's something people will want to be a part of as we create inclusion for all. It's led by the International Paralympic Committee, Special Olympics, Deaflympics, and Invictus Games. This sports lead campaign has all the human rights organizations, UN, and major businesses on board.
https://www.wethe15.org/
Thanks to our episode sponsor, Roka! Use code "SLB" for 20% off your purchase at Roka.
https://www.roka.com/
John Moffet is joined by Candace Cable, a nine-time U.S. Winter and Summer Paralympian, a pioneer in paralympic sports, and a global disability activist.
In today’s episode of SPORTS + LIFE + BALANCE, Candace shares the story of how she found herself adrift, depressed, and addicted to drugs after a life-changing car accident that left her paralyzed. After months in rehab, she enrolled in Long Beach State where she discovered her knack for swimming and wheelchair racing.
Since her first Paralympics in 1980, Candace has won twelve medals including eight golds in track racing, cross-country, and alpine skiing. She has won an unprecedented 84 marathons around the globe including six victories in the Boston Marathon… and in 2019 Candace was inducted into the U.S. Olympic + Paralympic Hall of Fame.
Read more about ableism from Talila "TL" Lewis:
https://www.talilalewis.com/blog/january-2021-working-definition-of-ableism
Learn more about the #WeThe15 Campaign:
The We The 15 campaign is a 10-year campaign to bring people with disabilities into an equitable space in the world in all areas. It's something people will want to be a part of as we create inclusion for all. It's led by the International Paralympic Committee, Special Olympics, Deaflympics, and Invictus Games. This sports lead campaign has all the human rights organizations, UN, and major businesses on board.
https://www.wethe15.org/
Thanks to our episode sponsor, Roka! Use code "SLB" for 20% off your purchase at Roka.
https://www.roka.com/
It's time for Sports Life Balance with John Moffet.
Candace Cable:The thing that really drove it home for me with wheelchair racing was that we were on the start line with the runners. So we crossed the same start line, we did the same course, we crossed the same finish line. And we all hung out together at the end. And there was such a feeling of community and connectedness that I got from that first one swimming. And now from this, that I was like, Okay, maybe this competitive sport thing isn't so bad. And then I met a coach who was coaching kids and adults that were using wheelchairs for racing. She said, you know, try one of the track chairs, I think it could be really fast. And we went out to the track, and I jumped in a racing chair, and she timed me going around the track once and she said, you know, you're pretty close to the national record of 400 meters. And that builds a ton of confidence in us. And it's one of the beautiful things with sport. And if we're guided by coaches in the right way, we learn to channel it properly. And I had that gift.
JOHN MOFFET:Introducing Candace Cable, nine time us winter and summer Paralympian pioneer in Paralympic sports and global disability activist. I'm John Moffet and thank you for joining us today on Sports life balance. When Candace was paralyzed in a tragic accident at just 21 years old, her life changed forever. She found herself adrift, depressed, and addicted to drugs. After months in rehab, Candace enrolled at Long Beach State, where one of the greatest swim coaches in American history taught her to swim, and it's also where she discovered her natural talent at wheelchair racing. Since her first Paralympics in 1980. Candace has won 12 medals, including eight goals and track racing cross country and the alpine skiing. She has won an unprecedented 84 marathons around the globe, including six victories in the Boston Marathon. And in 2019, Candace was inducted into the US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame as the Tokyo Paralympics Thrive this summer, Candace has journey makes us all realize just how far the Paralympic movement has come. Sensor trailblazing career began more than 40 years ago.
Candace Cable:I'm in John Moffet's house.
JOHN MOFFET:Ooh Cogan said that it looked like a seance room. I had that I forgot I meant to put the candles on do you want the candles?
Candace Cable:I'm afraid we might channel someone. I have a lot of connections.
JOHN MOFFET:I love it. Well, Candace, Welcome to Sports Life Balance.
Candace Cable:Thanks, John, for having me. I'm excited to be here.
JOHN MOFFET:Me too. You know, I've been lucky enough to get to know you through the years it was mostly was starting with La 24 bid, which you were very involved with you were I believe the director of Paralympic and disability engagement. Was that your official title? Yes, it was. And I was also vice chair of the board. Oh, got it. Got it. So. So yeah, so I remember. I mean, you obviously did more because you were on staff and I was working more on a volunteer basis. And I was on the AC or they I guess it was the athletic Advisory Commission. Yeah. Yeah, it's a C definitely had the same acronym is the usopc. AC too many acronyms. But we did a lot of community outreach. I mean, that's the thing. I remember. I remember actually, you know, speaking with you at the city hall to council members and things like that public speaking events of all kinds with like a lot of kids and engagements. I mean, it was it was pretty amazing. The how, how the city just with the possibility of getting the Olympic and Paralympic Games mobilized?
Candace Cable:Oh, absolutely. We at La 24 and then la 28 had events every weekend that we could engage athletes Olympians and Paralympians in at any opportunity. So whoever was available could be a part of it. And then we had those big events like City Hall and a few other things. Olympic day, right before it was Olympic and Paralympic.
JOHN MOFFET:Right, which is a recent very recent thing that they really well even
Candace Cable:the change of the name of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee is relatively recent. It's only been a few years, right. And that's a, you know, that's a major piece of change that we hope to see in the rest of the world because there are only a few You countries that have their national Olympic and Paralympic Committee underneath the same house, you know, in that same place. And that makes a huge difference in every aspect of sports growth. There's been a
JOHN MOFFET:lot of growth within the usopc. And that, of course, is one of them. And that's a very positive thing that has come out of that. But one, one thing that is, is, I mentioned that we call this la 24. When we were for a couple of years, I think when we first started, it definitely was na 24. So remind the viewer since you were kind of in the epicenter of it all, why why it switched suddenly, with like, it was kind of the 11th hour switch to 2028 from 2024, which is of course the original target.
Candace Cable:Yeah, well, it was super creative. You know, for the viewers, I have Paralympic athlete. And when I was growing up, I grew up in Southern California. But prior to coming back to Southern California, I had lived in Northern California for 25 years. And when I came back to this area, I was on the Athlete Advisory Council, the AC for the usopc. And we were meeting at La at four foundations building. And I think you are probably there too, as someone who is part of the Alumni Association. And we were, you know, just meeting and we met with La 24. And they came did a presentation for the Athlete Advisory Council. And that idea that the games could come to Los Angeles in 2024 was a big deal. And there were five, four other I think there were four other countries that were bidding on it for the cities. And as it had gone down to the wire, and we we were working towards getting the games. Once I was a part of that group, la 2024. It was down to Paris and LA, right. And in LA, we knew that it was European centric. The vote, the IOC. Yeah, that yeah, the IOC was really European centric, and that the vote was gonna heavily go towards Paris in 2024. Because 2024 was going to be 100 years since the last Olympic Games had been there. And of course, never have the Paralympic Games been there. So we had to figure out how we were going to get games and our leadership, Casey Wasserman, Jean stikes. And, and, and the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric, our city, you know, put their heads together with leadership on on the bid team. And they came up with this idea that pretty much there was only a few people that knew what the idea was. And so Casey Wasserman went for a walk with Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee on the beach. And I think we're in Geneva, because we had done a presentation Paris in LA, and said, Listen, you know, this is how I remember it. You know, when I got in on what it was, how it came down, was that, you know, what, we need a game to come to the United States. And we need to come up with something because we're not doing a bid again, if we lose this, we're not bidding again. And there's a lot of support, like NBC and those kinds of things, right, that could be lost with this. And we have three games back to back that are in Asia. And so because we had Pyeongchang, we have Tokyo right now, and Beijing is next. And that timing for the American broadcast is not great. As we already are seeing Tokyo right now. Right? Right, because I know this is gonna come out during Tokyo. So anyways, they went for a walk on the beach, and they came up with this idea of awarding two games which had never happened before. And to give 2024 to Paris, 2028 to Los Angeles and also to give Los Angeles, some financial support, right to get started ahead of time to create some recreational opportunities in the Los Angeles area for youth with with and without disabilities
JOHN MOFFET:really start building the legacy of the 2028 games are Yeah,
Candace Cable:yeah, though that early because, well, we know that we have some great programming here with lots of organizations, la 24. I mean, La 84 is one that is an amazing organization that really supports use sports, but we haven't had a lot of disabled sport support, right? We have some organizations try and foundation Angel City sports here in Los Angeles that focus on physical disabilities, we have special olympics intellectual disabilities. But we haven't really had a lot of city programs. Right. And this was about the city. And, and really developing that. And so that means that hopefully we're going to be able to see with this funding and some new policy development, some real great adaptations made in facilities and programming that will bring in disabled youth right outs to be able to participate in sport, because we all know how important sport is.
JOHN MOFFET:Absolutely. And that's what we're going to talk about. And yeah, one final thing I'd like to add is that is that the, the, the kids both able bodied, and and disabled. Right now, these are the kids that are just probably learning how to do sports and just taking up sports that might be representing the United States in 2028, in seven years, so it's really exciting program that they've come up with.
Candace Cable:Yes. And that's a great point that you make, because non disabled kids and disabled kids often play together if they have the opportunity, but they don't have the opportunity that much. And to think about the future of 2028. To be able to work towards is really exciting for a lot of not just kids, but parents too. And I have a nine year old that is not my child. But it is as a kid that was born with Spina Bifida. And he when we got the games and won the bid, he was I want to go to the games in 2028. I want to be a wheelchair racer, there we go. And so we've been working together with Angel City sports to create this opportunity as his own racing chair now and his sister has a disability too. So they're both doing the racing chairs and just recently at the Pasadena 5k and triathlon. They did the kids triathlon together in the racing chairs and yeah, and swimming.
JOHN MOFFET:That's great. Yeah, there there are. I mean, it's really kind of a magical place here in Los Angeles for for sports and for, you know, activating kids. You know, another thing that we have in common other than doing some work for the upcoming 2020 games, is that both of us grew up in Southern California, you in a place called West Covina right, which is 20 ish miles from downtown LA. Yes. Right. And me about 15 miles further east of that, which is a little town called Claremont. Yes, yeah. So yeah, we
Candace Cable:talked about that. Were you athletic
JOHN MOFFET:at all growing up.
Candace Cable:So I was a non disabled kid growing up in West Covina and I wasn't what you would call competitively athletic. I was more loving the outdoors. I like to hike. I was surfing. We would spend our summer vacations down in Baja. And my parents would go down there and they'd take the truck with the camper on it and they'd bring the record player and the refrigerator that they could plug in and we had lots of friends that went with us. And you know, I was a kid that slept on the beach at night down there. And we were surfing during the day and riding horses and things down in Baja, and camping, fishing. Hiking. Those were waterskiing that was another one that my family really liked to do. Yeah, so I was really attached to the outdoors but competitive sport I did not like at all because there was this level of confrontation that I wasn't comfortable really growing up. Yeah. And so PE you know, first PE changing into your gym shorts and your blouse because we had blouses when oh really to school. So I was born in 1954 Okay, so I graduated from high school in 1972. So we we had a uniform that we had to wear for physical education, and you had to change into that and and I just did not enjoy physical education at all because it was always based around competitive activities. And yeah, and so graduating from high school, I moved down to the beach and then I moved up to the Lake Tahoe area, and I was working as a blackjack dealer in Lake Tahoe really. And yeah, I had learned how to ski the winter before and one night after work. My boyfriend and a friend of his had been in the club all night drinking and I was getting off work at four in the morning. We walked out to the Jeep we had a C J five Jeep that was convertible. So the top was off was just the end of summer it was beautiful, starry Starry Night, end of August. And as I was approaching the car, I said to my boyfriend I'll drive and because they've been drinking And I hadn't drank at all. And there's no, I, I'm going to drive. And we argued back and forth a little bit. And again, my confrontation, avoidance came forward, and the peer pressure of it I got in and the passenger side. And when I got into the passenger side, my intuition told me, something's going to happen. Really? Yeah, yeah. And I didn't listen to it. And I am a firm believer, since that time, that developing our intuition is critical for our survival in so many areas. Really that intuitive feeling that says, this is right, this is wrong, and really pay attention to it. Because we as human beings, we totally lose that. We have that as a youth in a really strong way. But we get caught up in societal functions and bias and, you know, expectations and all those things, peer pressure from boyfriends. Yes, exactly. And we miss it. And we don't listen to it. So I got in, and we started heading up a road called Kingsbury grade that I lived at the top of that he was going to take me to and it's a very steep windy road. And about halfway up, the Jeep flipped, fell over. I'm gonna date myself here. It's a little bit like the show laughing there was a comedian that wrote a little tricycle. And as he was riding his tricycle, he would just fall over on his side, right. And that's exactly what happened with the Jeep, we made a turn, the Jeep just fell straight over on the driver side, I fell from the passenger side to the driver side, hit my back on the edge of the door or the window, mix the door. And that crushed the vertebrae in my lower back and cut the spinal cord. And I instantly could not feel my legs really. And so part of my body was in the car still in the jeep. And part of it was laying on the asphalt looking up at the sky. And they both rolled out. And they wanted to pull me out of the car. And they moved me away from the car. And then they wanted to pick me up and I said No, don't touch me. And another car drove down the hill because this was way before cellphones, another car, drove down the hill and stopped and they went and made a phone call at a payphone to call for an ambulance. And so this was in 1975. And the ambulance came, picked me up, put me in the ambulance took me to the BART Memorial Hospital. And I got there and they said, Hey, you, you've had a really bad injury. It looks like a spinal injury. And after the X rays, and going into ICU, I woke up in the morning and a doctor came in and he said you've had a spinal cord injury. It's broken your back and I thought broken back broken arm broken leg put a cast on it should be good and six weeks. He said no, you don't understand. And I was in complete denial. I was no you don't understand. I have a life. You know, I have things I have to do. And yeah, I had surgery there. I actually had my spinal cord surgery and the the rebuilding of the vertebrae because they took bone from my hip and rebuilt the vertebrae. Dr. Watson, Dr. Fry and Dr. Steadman. Dr. Steadman went on to be a very famous orthopedic surgeon for the US Ski Team. Yeah. And later in my athletic career as a downhill skier. Oh my god, we met up again, at an event and as Dr. Steadman"Candace Cable. Wow. He said you were my only and first spinal cord injury that I ever worked on. And yeah, so funny how things come full circle in our lives. But yeah, after that, I spent six months in the hospital. My heavens, they sent me I was two months up in Tahoe, and then four months down at Rancho Los Amigos in Downey, California, major rehabilitation hospital and had a real difficult time adjusting 1975 Okay, how can you? Yeah, at 21 you have no real coping skills with trauma like that. And I became depressed I started to use drugs. I isolated myself. And I woke up one day and said, I don't want to do this anymore with my life, went to my mom directly and said, Mom, I need help. She said, Okay, let's get you help. I got into a program. That was a live in program, which is really funny because it's on the other side of Rancho Los Amigos Spinal Cord Injury Unit. They have a drug rehabilitation unit on the office. It's I don't know if it's still there in 1975. They did. But I spent probably another six months they're really going through group therapy, psychological therapy with a psychologist and and really Coming up with new coping skills, right how I can redefine myself right, figuring out how I move through the world using a wheelchair. Yeah. And, and then got involved in going to school again. And I went to Long Beach State and that as we come full circle, my competitive athletic career that that I had in as a, you know, an athlete for 27 years in Paralympic sport. I went to disabled students services at long beach day and it was filled with people with a huge variety of disabilities and I suddenly felt like I found my people.
JOHN MOFFET:This is sports life balance hosted by John Moffet. Hey there I'm really excited to tell you about our new partner Roka. Roka was founded by two of my fellow all American Stanford swimmers and I've been using their equipment for years, their wetsuits and their goggles and their suits, not just because they're my friends, but because their training and racing gear are seriously second to none. But what you might not know about Roka is that they also make the best performing eyeglasses and sunglasses on the market. And I'm wearing some right now. And they're awesome. They're extremely lightweight, totally adjustable, and they never fall off my face even when I'm hot and sweaty. And best of all, I totally forget that I'm wearing them. Roka has dozens of great looking styles to choose from. And one of my favorite things about their classic designs is that I can use the same pair for a hard workout or a night on the town. So whether you need prescription glasses like mine, or a stylish pair of sunglasses, please go check them out. Head to roka.com That's R O K A .com and enter code S L B as in Sports Life Balance. That's three letters: S L B to save 20% on your first order. And now let's get back to Paralympian Candace Cable. Well, so So was this the first time you were ever ever like outside of the hospital finding a community finding? Yes. Here's that. For lack of a better term, a team?
Unknown:Yes, absolutely. It was my very first because there were six of us in the hospital at Rancho Los Amigos in on the spinal cord injury ward. Once I got out of the hospital, I never saw anybody else right that used a wheelchair. And I and the world wasn't accessible. I mean, there were no curb cuts, if we want to just talk curb cuts here to cross the street. If I was on the sidewalk, I'd have to find a driveway, go in the street, cross the street stay in the street until I find another driveway to get on a sidewalk. Everything was so intimidating. People were always staring at me because they never saw anybody using a wheelchair either. And there was it wasn't welcoming, right? I didn't feel like I belonged anymore. I felt like my life was over until I was told you need to go to the university and get some skills and let's get you a job and get you going. And so disabled student services existed. And I went there. And while I was there, I met people that were involved with sport. Now one of the other things that I had done was I had signed up for swimming. Yeah, right. Right. It was a swimming class. I mean, I thought it was just let's learn how to swim. Right? What I had signed up for, actually was the swim team. And I didn't realize that and I arrived on the pool deck. First thing in the morning and the coach of the swim team was there, John Urbanchek like go ahead and do the accolades for John because this man Oh, like he made me feel so welcomed. A young girl using a wheelchair who didn't really know how to swim properly, competitively. wasn't even looking competitively at anything, and said, Come play with us.
JOHN MOFFET:That's that's and that's so John. You know, I got Yes. 1978, '79. '79. Yeah. 78-79-80. Yeah, that's was was to know John as a coach. He was he was on a swim team called beach Swim Club. And we have the Newport Beach branch, which is where I trained day in and day out during the week. And then on the weekends, we come to Long Beach State and train in that pool. And John Urbanchek was the coach. It was my first exposure to John. John is, oh my gosh, he he was like I said he was my coach as a teenager. An incredible man, as you've mentioned, and an amazingly innovative coach like his workout. Absolutely, absolutely, like intellectually stimulating as well as like, fantastic training, physical training. And he's also one of the most generous people I've ever met in my life. Now, here's the kicker, John Urbanchek. I mean, if that name sounds familiar to anybody, everybody in the swimming world knows John. Yeah, he he's he was the Olympic swimming coach from 1992 2012 and like so for 20 years he was, he was like one of the main guys, if not the main guy. Yeah, the man on the deck, right man on the deck. And, you know, I saw him a few years ago and he still is so happy. And anyway, so it's such a strange thing that I was actually training in that pool when you were first getting your first exposure to athletics. the time that I was there. And we were probably in the water together. Which is so funny. But John was so generous in so many ways. And I had that first feeling of inclusion that I hadn't had, since my injury. Really, you know, as I said, years it had been since your injury. 1975. So it was about four years. Yeah, yeah, three to four years where I had felt outside of everything, like my life was over, I wasn't worth anything. And I had no place to be, there was nothing that was really welcoming of me until I found disabled student services at Long Beach State, right. And the poor dad, John Urbanchek, who said, Hey, come swim with us. I'm going to teach you strokes. And you can compete with my athletes, I'll just give you a shorter distance in the same discipline. And so he taught me every stroke, and I hung out with the swim team, and I went to shaving parties. And okay, you got to explain what a shaving party is. Those of us who are swimmers know all about it.
Unknown:Well, it is. You know, it is joy. I tell you, it's quite joint ridiculousness. It's super fun and silly, but it's so joyful. And it's such a bonding experience with the whole team. Because what we're doing is we're shaving our bodies basically, to try to get faster. It was before these,
JOHN MOFFET:it makes a difference.
Candace Cable:it well. That's what I was told. And I'm sure if it feels good in the water.
JOHN MOFFET:No, it doesn't make a difference.
Candace Cable:It felt so delicious in the water. Oh, my gosh, felt like a seal. You know, so now they have the suits, you know, those great suits and things? I don't know if they still have shaving parties, but
JOHN MOFFET:I'm sure they I'm pretty sure they all still shave. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, cuz, honestly, it was a piece of the, the experience of being a part of a swim team. And, and also, I had a bigger experience of being a part of the non disabled a world again, because I had not been a part of it in so many ways mean, I go to a building and there were steps to get in. Yeah, you know, you have to enter from the back, you go up this ramp, it goes by the garbage cans through the kitchen, and oh, sorry, we use the bat the accessible bathroom for storage. So, so here was, you know, with the swim team, and I was also meeting other people with disabilities through disabled student services. And there were sports being invented at that time, in the late 70s. One was wheelchair tennis. And I tried that didn't like chasing that little ball around. But wheelchair racing was thing I gravitated towards. Again, there was a feeling of inclusion that happened. When a group of us we're going to go and do. I can't remember it was a 5k or 10k at Griffith Park, but we were going to go do this race. And so your your first competition, I think it might have been not the first one in a wheelchair, but because we were rolling around in circles on the track. Okay, but as far as organized, yeah, race on the road. Yeah, I rode running race. So there was no wheelchair division at all. And because well, I was part of the group that created those and we hadn't done that yet. And I hadn't gotten that far. And we went there. We were like, we want to do this race. The thing that really drove it home for me with wheelchair racing was that we were on the start line with the runners. So we crossed the same start line, we did the same course. We crossed the same finish line, and we all hung out together at the end. And there was such a feeling of community and connectedness that I got from that first one swimming. And now from this, that I was like, Okay, maybe this competitive sport thing isn't so bad. And I think I can figure this out. And then I met a coach who was coaching kids and adults that were using wheelchairs for racing. And racing chairs were really just starting to be built. They were still four wheels. Little eight inch front wheels to in the front, the bigger wheel in the back of the pressuring. So there wasn't the three wheeled, little sleek, mini dragsters that you see now. Yeah, we hadn't invented those yet. And she came up to me, and I was at a regional competitions swimming, because I was gonna be a swimmer. And she said, you know, try one of the track chairs, I think you could be really fast. And we went out to the track, and I jumped in a racing chair that they had there. That was one of those first original ones. And she timed me going around the track once and she said, you know, you're pretty close to the national record of the 400 meters. And oh, okay. There you go. sense of accomplishment, right, that builds a ton of confidence in us. And it's one of the beautiful things with sport, yes, exactly, is that this level of confidence can be built. And if we're guided by coaches in the right way, we learned to channel it properly. Right. And I had that gift, I was given that gift by this coach Barbara Chambers, who is and has been an amazing coach for so many athletes. I have the I'm blessed to speak to a lot of athletes. And there's always a very similar story that there was a spark, you know, there was, there was somebody there, there was a John Urbanchek, there was Barbara Chambers, Barbara Chambers. And somebody, somebody who looks at you and says, you know, you can be good. Mm hmm. And there's such incredible power to that. And it goes back to what we were talking about with the LA 28 legacy programs with the youth and the youth programs.
Candace Cable:Right? Right. It's important, it's really important because we as humans need other humans, right. And we connect in a variety of ways. One is participating in activity and play together, play, when we are in cooperative play, it creates the most amount of empathy that we can muster in our minds and bodies. Because in that cooperation piece, there's lots of studies on this. And that cooperation piece, we develop this connection with the other individual. And we want the other one to do as well. So cooperative players, is really how we create human connection in life. And we see it early on. Yeah, with small children. And one of the it's really fun is one of the things that really promotes empathy in a huge way, in cooperative play is a video game called Rock Band. Oh, okay. Yes, they've done tests with it. And they see it builds the highest amount of empathy, because the group is trying to play together. Right, right, you know, to succeed, and to accomplish something in the game. And it goes
JOHN MOFFET:back to shaving party, you know, builds this incredible bond, because everyone's everyone's scared before competition is nervous with me, you prepare, you prepare quite a bit for these competitions, and there's pressure and you've put pressure on yourself. And, you know, that collective like, okay, we're in this together is invaluable. It's also, it's also a valuable lesson in life, even when you're not participating in an active or organized sports.
Candace Cable:Yeah, or competitive. Yeah, competitive sports. But we've we saw the amount of pressure during the Olympics here in 2021. We saw that pressure play out on top athletes, that, you know, that they had to step back, and they had to do something and we're, we have to, as human beings learn to support each other in developing good coping skills. Right, yeah, really good coping skills for dealing with stress and trauma. And, and, you know, situations that we don't expect to happen. I remember when I was competitive. I always had three plans.
JOHN MOFFET:You are confrontational. Did you ever learn how to be confrontational?
Candace Cable:Absolutely. I've actually learned how to do it in a positive way. Yes, it's it works for me now. It works for me now. And, and I'm sorry that I was so afraid of it for so long. And you know, growing up, because I missed some opportunities that I could have had as a really young person, and been able to deal with those feelings that I had, and I just stuffed them down, you know, for so long. And sports really helped me learn how to pull those feelings out that were really uncomfortable and look at them, and then figure out how to deal with them. And whether that's figuring it out on my own, or going to a professional, or doing it with my group my community together because, you know, a lot of times after an event, we all get together. After the event, and we rehash the event, of course, right? That's all part of it, break it down. No. And that level of bonding, too, is massive. And I think that oftentimes, individuals, sport athletes don't have a lot of opportunities to get that building of a community. Right? So, I think in this, you know, when I think about skills, and life skills and stuff that sports brought forward, for me, it really was about learning how to develop community wherever I was, so that I could have that group, those people may be one or 20, that I can not, not just commiserate with, but also be able to figure out where we get better. Like, how do we do this better? How do we become more engaged in all the activities that build a better world for all of us? Again, I just went really big picture there, you know, from just the individual down to the, you know, up to the highest degree of, you know, changing policy and civil rights and laws and things, like really making things equitable and working for people. I think we sports, we learn how to do that early on, and cooperative play, as the studies have shown, is something that really helps us begin to develop the coping skills and develop the innate skills we need, like empathy and compassion for not just other people, but for ourselves. Right, right. Because I think when we get into pressure situations, to kind of wrap this back around, when we get into our pressure situation, we don't have a lot of empathy for ourselves, or compassion.
JOHN MOFFET:No, if you if people are calling you the GOAT, you you're not supposed to falter.
Candace Cable:Yeah, exactly. And that doesn't make any sense. Because we're humans. And we all need help and support when we get in places where, you know, for lack of a better word, our shadow sides take over. Right, those things that we stuffed down my confrontation piece that I was so afraid of was a shadow. For me. I kept stuffing it and stuffing it, and it won't stay down forever. It has to come up. And one of the really beautiful things that I was gifted with sports was that it came up. It came up and it showed me how to do it. I did it wrong a whole bunch of times, like, Yeah, but it was okay. Because I was always in sport to be better at what I was doing. And so my focus was never on beating other people and things. And that's how I learned how to develop and deal with my confrontation issues was that I was just dealing with myself. Yeah, be in the middle of a race. I was watching in in two. In 1984, there was an exhibition event. Yes, I want to get to Okay, so in 1984, there was there was an exhibition event in the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles for wheelchair racing in the Coliseum. Yeah, in the Coliseum in front of 80,000 people. Like we'd never been in front of that many people and ever. And the broadcast was millions and millions, right. So this exhibition event came about because Juan Antonio Samaranch was also the president, the International Olympic Committee, thank you, was a champion of disabled sport in Spain. And the'84 Organizing Committee for LA was not going to hold the Paralympic Games. They were they said it was too expensive, too much work. So the Paralympic Games are going to go someplace else. And there were a few things going on that also contributed to this exhibition event. But I was in the women's 800 meters, so wheelchair racing on the track twice around. And then they had a men's 1500 meters for wheelchair racing. And in 1984, we had that opportunity to be able to really break down some stereotypes and stigmas and bias and all of this stuff, like just myths about disability. Because the myths are we're not capable of doing anything where we have to be taken care of. We're broken, so we must be fixed. These are all old old models, so not social models that are about inclusion, and diversity and opportunity and equity and those things. Yeah. So back then in 84, we didn't have even a civil rights law that protected people with disabilities, right? We weren't included in any of those. So 1990 was our first civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act. So '84 was a big deal. So I was watching a film of 1988 when We had the exhibition event again, again was in Korea
JOHN MOFFET:weren't the weren't the Paralympics officially paired with the Olympics and'88, am I wrong?
Candace Cable:Yes, no, you're right. You're right. Okay. Yeah. That was the first year that in 1988 was the first year that the Olympics and the Paralympics were held in the same cities and the same venues. And the athletes were in the same village. Before that, there was attempts at it. There were attempts at it, like, for instance, my 1980 games, my very first Paralympic games. The games were supposed to be in Moscow. Right? The Olympic Games were supposed to be in Moscow. And they were held in Moscow, right? The Olympic Games where they were and and they were held. There we go. That's right. The Olympic team did not go it boycotted. But the Paralympic team wasn't really considered part of the US Olympic Committee yet. And so when the conversation came for the Soviets to hold the Paralympic Games, they said, well, we don't have any disabled people. So we're not going to hold the Paralympic Games. So our games are in Holland. Wow. So yeah, so that's, you know, when I talk about myths and stereotypes, before the mid 20th century, people with disabilities were either institutionalized or eradicated. It was that and so union they were eradicated basically. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Or institutionalized. So in 1988, when we get to Seoul, Korea, I qualify for the exhibition event in 1988. And
JOHN MOFFET:Was that the 800 again,
Candace Cable:yep.
JOHN MOFFET:Okay. The events continued until 2008, I believe. And then they stopped the exhibition events in the Summer Games. And there were two years, Sarajevo and Calgary where they had exhibition events in downhill skiing, during the Winter Olympic Games. But those only lasted for two games. And then they they they didn't do those anymore, but the Summer Games, exhibition events lasted for a while. So I'm watching a video the other day, as I was thinking about my confrontation development strategies. I was watching a video the other day of the 800 meters that we had in 88. And we took off gun goes off, we take off Sharon Hedrick, the Goddess that she is amazing, amazing athlete, went to the lead in 84, and went to the lead in 88 and won the gold medal in both of those events. I darted off after her and as I'm racing after her and 800 meters, and, and other athlete tucks in behind me. And I can see myself in the video actually having a conversation with this person behind me telling them I know exactly what I was saying. I'm telling them to come to the lead and take their turn. Yeah, because drafting is a big deal or racing. It's like it is it's like cycling. Yeah, right. Right. Massive. And she never would. And so I could see my head turning side to side several times. yakkin at her. Like given her Little confrontation?
Candace Cable:Yeah, confrontation. I was learning how to do it. I may not have done it very well, there.
JOHN MOFFET:Maybe not effectively. But the one of the things that 84 We talked about 84 and 88. Is that it gave you exposure? Yes. And and it seems to me that so many of these things that you're talking about as far as beginning to chip away at stereotypes and, and stigma is exposure and exposure to exactly what you're talking about, which is, you know, we're capable humans, we're just stuck in various degrees of our bodies don't work like yours and rival parties.
Candace Cable:Yeah, right friend. Yeah. You know, non disabled people. I mean, here's so this is one of the things I teach about understanding disability, okay, it's something I started to develop as my athletic career was going on was, I understand it, that we needed education, around disability because people think disability is a bad thing. And they think it's, you're not capable, you need to be fixed all these wrong assumptions about disability, because we were never around. And we were always thought of as a bad thing. I mean, if we think about as athletes when we get injured, we always thought it was kind of a bad thing. But we quite often learned quite a bit about ourselves during that time, that downtime with injury. So I thought, well, I need to develop some kind of education program that teaches people about disability teaches about all the different disabilities, the proper language to use. You know, one of the things that in language that in the early days we used to say disabled and able bodied. Yeah, that term able bodied is really ableist term. Because it, it designates that there is a body. That is the way it's supposed to be. Yeah. Right. And the truth is, is that we shouldn't put more value on one body or another. That's ableism. When we put value on bodies, there is no perfect body. And so we evolved from saying able bodied to non disabled and disabled, because that made sense. Okay. Okay. And the other thing with that is, everybody, everybody's gonna have a disability in their life, right? I'm just telling you, folks, if nothing else, you live long enough, aging is gonna get you. Yeah. Right. So you're gonna join the Club? And the deal really, is that let's make a world that works for everybody. Yeah, now, so that when we do get there, and there is a function that we're used to having, and is not there anymore, it doesn't matter. Because adaptations have already been made, things are already set up, you already got the right ramp, or whatever, you need to get up the flight of stairs that you had, or the stair climber. So, so anyways, I started to become sorry, I kind of tangent. But the education pieces, I felt were so critical, because there were so many misconceptions around disability. So I developed some programming called Disability is possibility and understanding disability education, so that I could help people really become comfortable around individuals with disabilities, because that's the other thing we hear a lot about. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say, I'm so uncomfortable. And we are in the world right now, where we're having a lot of uncomfortable conversations, because we've had, we've had systems in place that have put more value on some bodies than other bodies. And we're discovering now that we have to dismantle those systems, and dismantling those systems means we have to build a new system, and we can't build a new system without understanding how to build it. And that's where education comes in. And so for me, I, I thought, well, this is this is my path. I did it with sports. I was educated with sports look, we can do right, like you thought it was possible. And honestly, when we listen to the tapes of the 84 event, you know, the exhibition during the Olympic Games, the conversation is really about those athletes being read athletes, they're athletes, and we're seeing it right now with Paralympic Games. Yeah. On everywhere the play the exposure, when you said exposure, it's all about the exposure.
JOHN MOFFET:Right. Right. I also wanted to one of the reasons that I wanted to speak with you is is you are have always been very upfront with me, you know, about when I use a term that might be not quite appropriate, or, you know, I asked you questions, and I just think it's really important that your thoughts and your stories are exposed to as many people as possible to the listeners, because I'm hoping that it will be your stories will be an opportunity for learning as well as inspiration, and insight. And hopefully, it's all those things. And that's, that's to me, that's the magic of the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.
Candace Cable:Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much. Because it really, as we said before, it's about exposure, exposure and education coming together. really create this magic, right? I mean, I the other the other day, so I don't, I don't have cable TV. Okay. And so I was really struggling to try to figure out how to watch the Paralympic Games. And I discovered that a restaurant that is at LA Live I live, just for the listeners, I live downtown Los Angeles, a few blocks away from LA Live for anybody who's knows, which is where Staples Center. Yeah. And the Kodak Theatre. Yeah. Are the where they have the academy Academy Awards. And well, yeah, the Emmys there and Yeah, and yeah, some Emmys here.
JOHN MOFFET:It was held at the shrine back then. Oh, the shrine. What a great place. Yes. Well, so I was looking around like, hey, you know, I have some friends I can watch with and stuff. But I found out that the yard house, the sports bar was showing the Paralympics on the TVs there. And this is the first time I've ever heard a sports bar showing the Paralympics in the United States. I don't know. Maybe it has been someplace. This was last night and this was last night. Oh my gosh. So I went down there and yeah, I checked acting out. And I was so happy new, they set me up so I could see a screen from my left and my right. And I love that. I love that. Well, you know, it just chose as an example that what you, you know, you were part of really, really early on, that the transformation for the public and for yourselves is continuing constantly continuing. Yes,
Candace Cable:yeah. It's, you know, it's the never ending story. I think, in humanity, we're always evolving, and we are evolving to include everyone, we're now working to leave no one behind. You know, we have the Convention on rights for persons with disabilities out of the United Nations, which is the first human rights document that has ever included people with disabilities. And it was being signed and ratified in 2008. And then, when the Sustainable Development Goals for 2015 to 2030, were being developed, they realized that people with disabilities had been left out of the Millennium Development Goals, from the, you know, from before the sustainable development goals. So people with disabilities will I'll explain a little bit yeah, I want to I want to, I want to understand, because this is a, this is a global movement. So the millennium development goals were developed in the year 2000. And those goals were goals for the global community, okay, to try to reach to elevate people and systems and policies and governments to be international internationally to include everyone. And people with disabilities were not included in those goals at all. And that was something that was discovered by the delegation from Mexico. And they said, hey, you know, what, people with disabilities don't even have any representation in human rights documents. And this is the year 2000, right. And that's when the convention on the rights for persons with disabilities, the United Nations started to build this document, this human rights document, that to this day is the most comprehensive human rights document ever written. Because it includes people with disabilities. It's about people with disabilities, which really is about all of us, right? Because we're all going there, like so far.
JOHN MOFFET:And this was 2008, that this was ultimately signed,
Candace Cable:This was ultimately signed and ratified by okay. It's been ratified by every country in the world, except for four or five. And the United States is one country that hasn't ratified it yet. And yeah, I know, I love the little puppy tilt head. I just saw that, but he definitely made the move that I really appreciate. Because, like, are you joking me? Yeah, yeah, that's, uh, that thought our government Yeah, I have another podcast for that.
JOHN MOFFET:There's only so much I can get into
Candace Cable:right, so well. So let me just take one. Yeah, sustainable development goals. So when they at the end of the Millennium Development Goals, they like we need to continue these goals, we need to rewrite what we are going to create sustainable goals for the world, to include everyone in every aspect of the world. And in the 17 goals. People with disabilities are mentioned 11 times. And that's massive. That's huge. And that means that we are shifting into a world of co creation, collaboration and community. And like I said, in the very beginning communities my jam, yeah, I love community. And, yeah, and developing it wherever I can. And it's something that I'm doing here in LA now in a couple of different areas and, and really excited, you know, for the games to be coming forward, because we have a lot of opportunity to begin to look at what isn't working here. You know, one is homelessness, and homelessness when 66,000 People live in LA. Yeah. And I'm not saying that sports can take care of it all. But honestly, sports creates a level of humanity that connects us all, that we should not forget. And we should definitely take it into consideration each and every turn of how do we learn how to play together cooperatively. Right, right. Yeah. Cuz that's really what this is about in this world, and how are we of service to other? I mean, the service that you bring forward in multiple ways, John is so important, you know, from what you do with this podcast, to the other work that you do and with Angel City sports, right? We haven't, you know, really talked about that. Yeah. And being a coach for swimming, when you have that opportunity when it comes forward is makes a huge difference because there's, you know, there's this peer thing, right, that non disabled disabled athletes. I mean, I love it when I'm seeing Olympians and Paralympians working together and creating opportunities for new individuals, whether they have a disability or not, to say, hey, look, these groups work together. We have we have different agendas sometimes, but we work together really well. And, and we also do that with Ready Set Gold is another program.
JOHN MOFFET:That's true. That's yeah, I've so many, so many thoughts. Like, the one thing is, is that you and I just you are you're part of organizing a community outreach program with Southern California Olympians and Paralympians Association, which is, which is the alumni network for the Olympians and Paralympians here in Southern California. We did a beach party, yes. And, you know, part part of that was just like, Well, what about the bathrooms and and we're, you know, we're gonna learn how to do outrigger canoes. So what about the, you know, a disabled athlete? What's their access? And, you know, so we had to go through all these things, but it doesn't take that much. You just address it and you deal with it? Yeah, yeah.
Candace Cable:Yeah. And, and you get this level of awareness, when we expand and think about, okay, who's missing? Right? Yeah, who, who's missing, who's not participating? And we start to look at the most marginalized groups, right? They're usually the people that aren't participating. And then we figure out how we include them. So our most marginalized group of our alumni is probably the Paralympians, probably. And so how do we include them? And that's what we did. You know, we started planning that beach party. And then I didn't even get to participate because I silly little girl didn't realize that I was coaching on the track that same day,
JOHN MOFFET:Angel City, which Angel City sports, so let's talk about No, let's talk about real briefly. Let's talk about Angel City sports and the Angel City Games. Yeah, something else that you and I have experienced together since 2016. I think was Yeah, first time being I think so. Yeah. But tell Do tell. Tell us about the services that they provide? Because it's something that is, it's a really wonderful thing here in Los Angeles.
Candace Cable:Absolutely. So Angel City sports is a nonprofit, that creates opportunities for sport for youth and adults with disabilities. And it's any type of disability, they mostly focus on physical disability, and, but they've had some kids and athletes who have intellectual disabilities that have come forward to participate in some of the activities. But they're pretty much all of the sports that you would think about that happen for the Paralympic Games, right. And they make those available in clinics where you learn how, in competitive opportunities, and also in a mass grouping of, say, five or six different sports happening at one time in one place, like City Games, yes, well, the games have competition. And they, they have a little bit of clinic gain. But they have these days, where you can come and try out all these different sports, okay, so there's no competition really going on at that time. But there's an opportunity to it's a little bit of a festival, so to speak, because, because you as an individual, I could rotate throughout all of the different sports and try them all out and see which ones I like the best. And then I can go to a clinic and learn more
JOHN MOFFET:about it. And that is an opportunity when Barbara
Candace Cable:Yeah, Barbara Chamber.
JOHN MOFFET:Barbara Chambers. S rry, I'll get her last name. Whe Barbara Chambers said, Hey, andace, you know, you can be go d. I mean, that's that opportun ty to change, you know, the trajectory of somebody's lif, which is one of the first a d core magic goal moments hat happ
Candace Cable:Right? Well, and we have to as individuals, we have to be looking like where can we support where can we create change? Where can we elevate? How can we do that, you know, be very conscious about that type of activity. I think in everything we do, and contributing to society in a way that builds a place where no one's left behind.
JOHN MOFFET:That's That's awesome. That's awesome. Candace, you have, as usual, taught me a lot. And I hope that our listeners as well have gained a ton of insight and inspiration into your life and your journey and what you are still trying to accomplish.
Candace Cable:Oh, thank you, John and I, it's back at you. I learned so much from you too. And, yeah, I mean, because when we have these conversations, there's stuff I learned about you and your practices and the things you're doing in your life that motivate me and energize me whole thing. Yeah. I mean, I mean, we're just going to circle back on sports here. I mean, that's the beauty of sport and the people we meet in it, yes, is that there's something you know, when you said about the Paralympic Spark, there's some kind of Paralympic spark. There's something about people who have decided that, you know, they are going to practice for it, and they go into this competitive space. There's this residual something, it's like a residual magic of having been there to the mountaintop kind of thing, I guess, and come back, and I think with Paralympians, there's, there's also that unique Spark is about a level of lack of opportunity and oppression that people are dealing with in a variety of areas of their lives. And when they come to sport, it doesn't exist to fade away. Yeah, it fades away, and suddenly we're one right. We're coming together as one and yeah, so I appreciate so much that you bring forward. Thank you.
JOHN MOFFET:Well, thank you. And that's, that's why I do Sports Life Balance. So thanks again, Candace, You're welcome and tha Instead of an inspiring quote, Candace has asked me to share with you the definition of ableism. Ableism is a system that places value on people's bodies and minds based upon societally constructed ideas of normality, intelligence, excellence, desirability, and productivity. Candace would also like you to check out the We he Fifteen.org. It's a 10 year ampaign that has just launched uring the Tokyo Games. That's W, T H E number 15 dot O R G. It's the world's biggest ever human rights movement and discrimination of the 15% of the human population that have disabilities. I'm John Moffet, and big thanks to all of you for joining us today. If you liked today's episode, please share it with a friend. And don't forget to give us your five star review. Have an amazing week everyone. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoyed Sports Life Balance