Yvonne Saunders facts for kids

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

Yvonne Saunders-Mondesire (born in 1951) is a former track and field athlete. She was amazing at many events! Yvonne competed in the women's pentathlon (a five-event competition), long jump, high jump, 400 metres sprint, and 800 metres race. She represented three different countries: Canada, Jamaica, and England.

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

Early Life and Discovering Talent

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

Yvonne was great at the high jump. She won the intermediate category at the English Schools' Athletics Championships in both 1966 and 1967. She then started trying other events too. At the AAA Junior Championships, she won the under-17 high jump in 1967. In 1968, she won both the high jump and the pentathlon. She also represented England in international school matches, winning the high jump in 1967 and 1968. Her travels for sports brought her to Montreal, Canada, in 1968. Her family liked it so much they decided to move there that same year.

Becoming a Top Athlete

In 1970, Yvonne moved from Montreal to Milton, Ontario, Canada. She started training at the Guelph Legion Track Club. Her amazing skills quickly made an impact. She won two national titles at the Canadian Track and Field Championships. She became the champion in both the high jump and the 400 metres race.

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

Winning Medals for Jamaica

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

Later that year, she won more medals at the Pan American Games. She took home two bronze medals in the 400 metres, one for her individual race and one for the relay team. She also jumped over six metres in the long jump, finishing fifth.

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. From 1973 onwards, she started competing for Canada. This was a very successful time in her career. She won her third Canadian national title at the 1973 Canadian Championships.

In January 1974, she represented Canada at the Athletics at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games. She set a new Canadian record of 51.67 seconds in the 400 metres. This amazing run won her the gold medal! She is still the only Canadian woman to have won that title. This was also her fastest time ever. She won another medal with her teammates in the relay, earning a bronze.

Later in 1974, she set a world indoor best time for the 600 metres race. She also won the 400 metres at the AAA Championships, setting a new championship record.

Olympic Challenges and Retirement

Yvonne faced some injuries in 1975 and 1976, including a back injury and a knee injury. She worked hard to be able to compete for Canada at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Even with her training interrupted, she still competed. She was eliminated in the first round of the 800 metres race. Her relay team finished eighth in the final. This was her last big international event.

After 1976, Yvonne's performance changed, but she kept competing. Her last major tournament was the Liberty Bell Classic in 1980. She won the 800 metres race there. She retired from the sport in 1982. She felt that money and performance-enhancing substances were changing the sport too much.

Life After Athletics

Yvonne married Dr. Roy Mondesire, who is a scientist. They have two children together. Her younger brother, Mark Saunders (police officer), became the Chief of the Toronto Police Service in 2015. In 2014, Yvonne was honored and inducted into the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame. 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