| Chautauqua County, New York |
| Chautauqua County, New York |
Cindy Reinhoudt
For the second time in the history of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame, a husband and wife team were inducted in the Hall of Fame when weightlifter Don Reinhoudt of Brocton was joined by his wife, Cindy. The first husband and wife tandem in the Hall of Fame were George and Marilyn Hale.
Cindy Wyatt was born in Buffalo on March 31, 1944, and became an outstanding athlete in the 1960s and was one of the first women in the United States to receive an athletic scholarship. She received the offer from the University of Hawaii and became a member of one of the best track and field teams in the college ranks in 1961.
Cindy went on to become one of the finest shot putters and discus throwers in the country as she set several records in those events. In the early portion of the 1960s, she was selected for several international track teams which journeyed all over Europe and competed in such places as Russia, East Germany, West Germany, Poland, England and Brazil.
It was in 1963 that she won the silver medal at the Pan American games in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After graduating from Hawaii, she furthered her education at Ohio State University with a masters degree in counseling psychology in 1969. She still kept her winning ways for the United States track team and once again was on the United States international squad.
Cindy and Don were married in 1969 and she decided to turn her talents to women's powerlifting and what a success she was. Cindy won the Women's National Powerlifting Championships from 1976-79 while establishing over 20 world records.
Records set were 225 pounds for bench press, 385 for squat, 385 pounds for dead lift and the world record total of 985 pounds. Unofficial standards in exhibitions were squat 440 pounds and clean and jerk 225 pounds.
The Reinhoudts were considered the world's strongest husband and wife combination and Cindy has had several articles written about her success in books and magazines.
Cindy also was a leader in development of women's powerlifting in the United States and in 1978 was appointed as the first women's national chairman. Two years earlier she received another first by becoming the first woman to receive an International Referee Certification in Arlington, Texas.
The year of 1985 was very important to Cindy as she was inducted into the Women's United States Track Hall of Fame and the Women's Powerlifting Hall of Fame.
The 1961 Williamsville High School graduate was very active in sports in high school and made several international track teams during her tenure. As was previously mentioned, Cindy was born in Buffalo, then, moved to Chautauqua County from 1950-52 before moving back to Williamsville and then back to this area with her marriage to Don Reinhoudt.
Cindy has held clinics for women's sports, worked with girls in track and lifting, been a Brocton Central School board member, a Sunday School teacher and worked with the Girl Scouts.
She has worked for the Gowanda Psychiatric Center as a team leader and without a doubt has been quite an example for girls and women to strive to be the very best in education, sports and fitness.
Cindy Reinhoudt was inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
Links
Sports Illustrated