At 58, Cynthia Ranii was paralyzed from the chest down. 20 years later, her sights are set on a Paralympic medal

SANTA CRUZ The first two games of the five-set match typical parameters in competitive table tennis went well for Cynthia Ranii She was older stronger more experienced and it manifested As she often does when she s eager for a challenge Ranii traveled over the hill from her home on the Westside of Santa Cruz for a match at a club in Santa Clara At years old Ranii was used to competing against younger opponents but this one was especially boyish no older than by her estimation If she leaned on him a little harder she thought she could leave with a clean sweep But after dropping the first two sets the boy began to listen to advice from his parents who had coached him throughout the match His spin became sharper forcing the ball to jump off the sides of the table much closer to the net where it was out of Ranii s reach His lobs were high and deep over her shoulders making it hard for Ranii to turn fast enough to swat them back She began to fall behind Ranii is paralyzed from the chest down and was playing from a seated position using a wheelchair She was well aware of the vulnerabilities in her encounter and though she tried to adjust and put her able-bodied opponent back on his heels her grip on the match loosened The boy took the next three consecutive games and the match was over That s a hard kind of thing to take Ranii admitted in an interview with the Sentinel a day later She paused the points still replaying in her head But she wasn t bitter Just the opposite it s what she expects from a worthy opponent It s just the reality He beat me mainly because he took advantage of my being in a chair which is exactly what he should have done if he needed to win she commented He did exactly the right thing Ranii has never been one to let disappointment or frustration get the best of her even after a rare neuro-immunologic disorder left her paralyzed from the chest down years ago It s part of what has made her a lifelong standout athlete and now an elite table tennis performer Cynthia Ranii maintains focus as she prepares for upcoming competitions Shmuel Thaler Santa Cruz Sentinel Plus spending too much time with negative emotions after a loss is an unhelpful distraction from the goal she has been working toward for years as a competitive athlete becoming a medalist at the Los Angeles Paralympics and likely the oldest one in Paralympic or Olympic history Since she started on the competitive circuit more than a decade ago Ranii has transformed herself into a top-ranked table tennis champion She has medalled at several national and international tournaments and right now ranks No in her class of women Paralympic table tennis players nationwide At the international level which is key for Paralympic hopefuls Ranii has soared as high as No but she has just now dropped to No after undergoing a major surgery that set her back To qualify for the games she likely has to break through to the top internationally and to do that she demands to play and win A lot I m thinking this could be my shot if I really dedicate myself Ranii mentioned with a sober tone but a light vitality about her I think I should do everything accomplishable to have my best chance to make it And if I don t I don t Reliably an athlete A Fullerton native Ranii and her five siblings grew up in a sports-focused family If it got your heart pumping and included certain kind of scorekeeping system chances were Ranii played it and likely quite well Throughout her youth it was tennis bowling golf basketball and more all the way to UC Berkeley where an interest in religion and spirituality inspired her to major in Near Eastern studies She eventually achieved a master s in Asian studies from the University of Pennsylvania Sports satisfied her competitive nature but her professional interests eventually coalesced around tuition causing Ranii to excursion back to California for a doctorate in guidance from the University of Southern California It was the beginning of a long and fruitful career that culminated with Ranii becoming superintendent of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District in In at years old steady in her job and with a large and loving family Ranii and her partner Shelly James sojourned to Scotland to attend their daughter s wedding and when they had time tee d off at certain of the country s world-famous fairways But shortly after returning home Ranii began to have intense pain in her lower back and various limpness in her foot With doctors unable to diagnose her condition Ranii was eventually hospitalized as her signs worsened Then sitting in bed one night she began specific stretching exercises she d been assigned I went to do those stretches and I couldn t move my legs Ranii recalled Medals accumulated by Cynthia Ranii tell the story of athletic excellence and inspiring Paralympic ambitions Shmuel Thaler Santa Cruz Sentinel During the next scant hours the numbness continued to progress up to her chest where it ultimately stopped although she continued to suffer from intense pain due to spinal shock Ranii had gone from rounds of golf in Scotland to paralysis that covered the majority of her body within about four days She was eventually diagnosed with transverse myelitis a rare neurological disorder that causes inflammation along the spinal cord and from which preponderance patients experience at least several degree of recovery according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Ranii was given no such reprieve I had to fleetly learn to be a much more victim person and a person who had to become at ease with modification revealed Ranii It made me slow down and be more accepting of how things are Second act After six months of intense physical therapy Ranii returned to work and continued with her career in development for another year before retiring after about a decade as superintendent During that period of personal upheaval and boundless change Ranii returned to her life s constant athletics She determined much early success in wheelchair tennis where she fast achieved a national ranking But the physical demands of the tournament were nonstop and she was competing against individuals sometimes several decades her junior Instead she exchanged her racket for a paddle and took up table tennis a decision she knew was the right one after entering her first tournament in though she recognized there d be a learning curve I lost all my matches she commented but I had that feeling I think I could be good at this Ranii now trains at least six days per week including practice matches personal training exercises and hours of backhand and forehand practice with help from a robot that feeds her endless shots with spin and pace She plays at her home or at the London Nelson Group Center in Santa Cruz but also regularly travels to Alameda County for games where she largest part often competes against standing opponents Rachael Worby described by Ranii as one of her biggest supporters met Ranii and her wife while they were living in Pasadena about years ago They became almost instantly inseparable The luscious heart and soul that lives inside this women is singular stated Worby I ve never known anybody like her in my life But Worby an accomplished orchestral conductor and nonprofit leader added that Ranii s opponents would be wise not to let her mild manner and soft gaze lull them into complacency She s a tactful participant and unafraid to use her smarts to snatch a success She s ferociously competitive reported Worby Never let that calm spiritual exterior belie what lies beneath She just goes all in Ranii s commitment to the sport has also attracted attention from local mentors particular with the Paralympic experience she now strives for Ranii happened to live just down the street from Sebastian DeFrancesco a well-known adaptive sports champion who played table tennis using a paddle that was tied to his hand with a leather strap and an elastic bandage Sebastian DeFrancesco a quadriplegic who also competed using a wheelchair was a five-time Paralympic table tennis medalist and U S Table Tennis Hall of Fame inductee among a large number of other honors Recognizing her as a talented athlete and kindred spirit Sebastian DeFrancesco trained and competed with Ranii for years and encouraged her to take her tournament to the next level Cynthia Ranii left competing alongside her friend and mentor Sebastian DeFrancesco at a table tennis match around Contributed Liz DeFrancesco Since his death in Sebastian DeFrancesco s wife Liz DeFrancesco has remained close with Ranii and still plays with her on a regular basis She declared Ranii has plenty of traits in common with her late husband but all revolve around a competitive spirit and hard work Once she dedicates herself to something she just goes all in mentioned Liz DeFrancesco That was Sebastian as well he was the the greater part fiercely competitive person Should she break through to the top and secure an invite to the Paralympics Ranii would be years old by the time she goes to toss her first serve The Sentinel reached out to the International Paralympic Committee to confirm who the oldest Paralympic medalist in history was but did not receive a comment back before print deadline According to a story last year from GQ magazine Argentinian sailor Santiago Lange became the oldest athlete to win a medal at the Olympics in years when he took home the gold in Brazil in at age Sport Australia Hall of Fame has written that its own Libby Kosmala became the oldest Paralympic participant at when she competed in the air rifle event in But as weeks and months tick by Ranii must briskly accumulate as several points as she can primarily through international tournament wins And expedition isn t cheap To encouragement to Ranii s Paralympic ambitions Shared Adventures a local nonprofit serving multiple from the disabled locality has launched a fundraising campaign aimed at helping cover Ranii s advance and training bills Contributions can be made online at sharedadventures org I m really stoked that she s pursuing her dream Shared Adventures founder and President Foster Andersen notified the Sentinel That s what life is all about doing what you want to do and pursuing that dream Ranii will compete in two international tournaments in October alone both in S o Paulo Brazil And while up-to-date tournaments haven t produced the kind of results she s hoped for she knows her encounter and is ready to make a splash I m not a contender in the eyes of numerous stated Ranii with a laugh I m a contender in my own eyes