“Age or disability should never be an obstacle,” Kennedy said

“Age or disability should never be an obstacle,” Kennedy said as she targets the LA28 Paralympic Games.

At 69, the Team USA Para-Cycling Road athlete is pursuing a spot at the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Cedars-Sinai reported. A Gulf War veteran who started racing in her 60s, Kennedy won a bronze medal at a 2025 World Cup in Italy. She is now a member of the U.S. Paralympics Cycling team.

Kennedy served in the U.S. Air Force and the Army during the Gulf War, spending more than 15 years in military service.

You learn that, OK, you have an obstacle. What is the obstacle and how do we solve it? And what’s the goal? Kennedy said, adding, All of that goes back to my military training. You just don’t give up. Years after leaving the military, she developed ataxia, a neurological condition affecting balance. She eventually discovered para-cycling and built a competitive career in her 60s.

Her training this year hit a series of roadblocks due to severe allergic reactions, pneumonia, and sepsis. Struggling to access specialized care near her Tucson, Arizona home, Kennedy connected with Cedars-Sinai through the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Medical Network. Cedars-Sinai serves as one of 11 medical institutions in the network and is the Official Medical Provider of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Anything is possible,” noted Kennedy. Understanding what is causing an athlete’s symptoms is important because even conditions that appear similar can require very different approaches, Pedraza said. Our goal is to understand the whole patient and help them safely return to the activities that matter most to them.

Kennedy returned to Cedars-Sinai for follow-up care and continued consulting with Pedraza as she worked to establish pulmonary care closer to home.

Summer brought another detour when a severe case of Valley fever and pneumonia required hospitalization. Those medical issues blocked her from earning a spot on the 2026 Para-Cycling World Championship team. Despite the setbacks, Kennedy is back on her bike, rebuilding strength, and focusing on international competition. I love to ride my bike, Kennedy said. That’s number one. And that’s good for my health.

LA28 Medical Partnership and Community Impact

Thomas M.

Jonathan Finnoff, DO, chief medical officer for the U.S.

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