Yvonne Saunders facts for kids

Yvonne Saunders-Mondesire (born 9 October 1951) is a Canadian former track and field athlete. She was a very talented athlete who competed in many different events, like the women's pentathlon (a competition with five different events), long jump, high jump, 400 metres sprint, and 800 metres race. During her career, she competed for three different countries: Canada, Jamaica, and England.

She won two medals for Jamaica at the 1971 Pan American Games. Later, she became the champion in the 400 metres race at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games while representing Canada. Yvonne also competed in the Summer Olympics twice: first in 1972 for Jamaica, and then in 1976 for Canada.

Quick facts for kids
Yvonne Saunders

Medal record
Women's Athletics
Representing  Jamaica
Pan American Games
Bronze	1971 Cali	400 metres
Bronze	1971 Cali	4 × 400 metres
Representing  Canada
British Commonwealth Games
Gold	1974 Christchurch	400 metres
Bronze	1974 Christchurch	4 × 400 metres

Early Life and Athletic Beginnings

Yvonne Saunders was born in Jamaica. When she was eight years old, her family moved to England. Her amazing talent for track and field was noticed when she was a teenager at Gorse Park High School.

She was great at the high jump, winning the intermediate category at the English Schools' Athletics Championships in both 1966 and 1967. She started trying out more events and won the under-17 high jump at the AAA Junior Championships in 1967. In 1968, she won both the high jump and the pentathlon.

Yvonne represented England in international school matches, winning the high jump in 1967 and 1968. Her travels for competitions brought her to Montreal, Canada, in 1968, and her family decided to move there that same year.

A Career of Achievements

In 1970, Yvonne moved from Montreal to Milton, Ontario, and started training with the Guelph Legion Track Club. She faced some challenges, like unkind comments, but she didn't let that stop her.

At the Canadian Track and Field Championships, she quickly made a big impact. She won two national titles in 1970: one for the high jump and another for the 400 metres race.

Representing Jamaica

When she started competing as a senior athlete, Yvonne chose to represent Jamaica, the country where she was born. In her first major international competition, the 1970 British Commonwealth Games, she finished eighth in the pentathlon. She also helped the Jamaican women's 4 × 100 metres relay team finish fifth.

In 1971, at the 1971 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics, she won three medals. She earned individual bronze medals in the 400 metres and long jump. She also won a gold medal with the 4 × 400 metres relay team.

More success followed at the Pan American Games later that year. She won bronze medals in both the individual 400 metres and the 4 × 400 metres relay. She also placed fifth in the long jump, jumping over six metres!

Yvonne made her Olympic debut in 1972 at the Munich Games. She reached the semi-finals in the 400 metres. She also ran in the heats with the Jamaican relay team.

Competing for Canada

Yvonne became a Canadian citizen in 1972 and started competing for Canada from 1973 onwards. This was a very successful time in her career. She won her third Canadian national title at the 1973 Canadian Championships.

She was chosen to run for Canada at the Athletics at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in January 1974. She set a Canadian record of 51.67 seconds to win the gold medal in the 400 metres. She is still the only Canadian woman to have won that title, and this was her fastest time ever.

She won another medal with her teammates in the relay, earning a bronze medal. Later that year, she set a world indoor best time for the 600 metres distance. She also won the 400 metres at the WAAA Championships, setting a new championship record.

Later Career and Retirement

Yvonne faced some injuries in 1975 and 1976, including a back injury and a knee injury. Despite this, she was able to compete for Canada at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Her training was interrupted by her injuries, so she wasn't at her very best. She was eliminated in the first round of the 800 metres and finished eighth in the relay final. This was her last major global competition.

After 1976, Yvonne's performance wasn't as strong, but she continued to compete. Her last big tournament was the Liberty Bell Classic in 1980. She won the 800 metres race there.

She decided to retire from the sport in 1982. She felt the sport was changing in ways she didn't like, with more focus on money and unfair advantages, so she decided to retire.

Yvonne married Dr. Roy Mondesire, a scientist, and they have two children. Her younger brother, Mark Saunders (police officer), became the Chief of the Toronto Police Service in 2015. Yvonne was honored by being inducted into the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame in 2014. She now lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Personal Best Times

• 400 metres – 51.67 seconds (1974)
• 800 metres – 2:00.1 minutes (1975)

International Competitions

National Titles

• Canadian Track and Field Championships
  • 400 metres: 1970, 1973
  • Long jump: 1970