Ana Mari Cauce

RESUME: President, University of Washington

WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE ON THE BOARD? The USA SOG represents the very best of what athletics has to offer. Sports teaches people so much, about themselves, facing challenges, resilience, and achieving excellence. As an educator, I know there are many ways for people to learn and develop leadership skills, compassion, and a sense of fair play. We see it every day at the University of Washington in the work of our student athletes. The participants in USA SOG are gaining all those things on and off the field. The Games also do wonderful work to support greater inclusion and awareness of the contributions of people with intellectual disabilities. For all these reasons, I’m proud to serve on the USA SOG Board.

WHAT SPORTS DID YOU OR DO YOU COMPETE IN? I took ballet classes for about 10 years, with very little improvement, and played lots of sports as a kid. I played basketball and a little softball for my high school team.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM SPORTS THAT YOU’VE APPLIED TO YOUR CAREER? I worked hard and I learned how enjoyment and discipline, even if they never result in conventional “success,” can add value and meaning to life. Sports also teaches you a lot about failure, that it's not something to be afraid of, instead it's something to learn from.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GAMES WILL MEAN TO THE CITY OF SEATTLE? As a global, diverse city with a thriving sports scene, not to mention really excellent sports fans, Seattle is a fantastic venue for the 2018 Games. It promises to be a proud moment for our city and a powerful demonstration of the values that Seattle shares with the USA SOG, values like inclusion, joy in competition and celebrating extraordinary achievement.

WHAT SHOULD ATHLETES SEE AND DO WHILE THEY ARE IN SEATTLE? One of my favorite things to do on a day off is get out into nature and hike, and there are a lot of breathtaking hikes for people of ALL abilities right in Seattle and around the Puget Sound.