BME researcher Cassie Mitchell, who was paralyzed at 18 from Neuromyelitis Optica, earned a bronze medal in F51 club throw with a personal best throw of  21.84 meters on Sunday, September 11. Mitchell is an assistant research professor and principal investigator of the Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory.

Mitchell competed in the London Paralympic Games in 2012 and is staging a comeback after an April 2016 leukemia diagnosis. She continues to undergo chemotherapy for leukemia but is not letting it stop her Olympic dreams. After securing her first medal she will refocus and compete again on September 14 in the women's F51-52 discus and on September 15 in the women's S2 backstroke. Originally named to the USA Track & Field team, Cassie was also named to swimming after re-allocation of the Russian slots. Mitchell is one of three USA Olympians or Paralympians competing in two sports in the Rio Games. 

Related Links

• Cassie Mitchell Medal Ceremony
• Cassie Mitchell Final Throw
• Going for Gold