Joslin Patient Wins Gold at Paralympics in Australia

SYDNEY — October, 2000 — Longtime Joslin patient Pam Fernandes of Needham, MA has won a gold medal and set a world record as part of the US. Paralympics Team in Sydney Australia. In the finals of the Mixed Tandem 1km Time Trial, Fernandes and her tandem cycling teammate Al Whaley won gold in a world record time of 1:08.997.

This was despite Fernandes cycling with a broken bone in her foot, an injury sustained a week ago, which threatened to put them out of the event.

"The first day in the Village, I was rushing around and fell over, literally within three hours of arriving. So a week ago I didn't think we'd get to race. We had great help from the doctor - it's strapped up," the visually impaired rider said.

The German team of Michaela Fuchs and Jan Ratzke won the silver in a time of 1:10.154, while Italy's Silvana Valente and Fabrizio Di Somma took bronze in a time of 1:10.750.

Fernandes, a visually impaired cyclist with diabetes, is a six time National Champion and has also earned two international medals previously — a silver in the 1994 World Championships for the Disabled in Belgium, and a bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. Whaley, of Houston, TX, is a three-time Masters World Champion, a world record holder and is a four-time national champion. Together, racing on a tandem bike, the pair hold the national record in the 200-meter time trial and one-lap time trial. They have also won three national championships in tandem track racing.