Cara Gulbronson graduated from the School of Kinesiology with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management in 2013. Now she is marketing and events manager at the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation, and has also played a prominent role with the Minnesota Roller Derby on and off the rink. Continue reading to learn about all of the great things Cara is up to today!
In the years following her graduation, Cara worked at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute as an adaptive sports program coordinator. After working there for almost five years, she was ready to make a change. “My friend who works at UnitedHealth Group referred me and within six days from when I applied, I was offered the job. It was meant to be and I accepted the position.” Cara began as a grant manager for UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation and in Fall of 2020 was promoted to her current position of marketing and events manager. “Time Flies and I recently celebrated 5 years with UHCCF.”
Cara’s job responsibilities include a variety of sport-related fundraising events, with a focus on management. “I am the project manager for the largest golf fundraiser in the Midwest, the UHCCF MN Golf Classic, which raised $2 million dollars in a single day in 2021. This 13th annual event was held across three courses in Minnesota, including 416 golfers, 100 volunteers and over 75 sponsors.”
“In addition to three annual golf events, I manage our social events which includes Topgolf, Florida Fishing tournament, galas and wine events. The organizational skills I learned through my time with the school of kinesiology have been invaluable as at any given time, I am coordinating over 10 events across the country.”
Outside of work, Cara has found a new passion with the Minnesota Roller Derby. “My experience with Minnesota Roller Derby (MNRD) has been incredible and unexpected. I had heard of roller derby but never played or even attended an actual bout. My best friends and I were sitting around one night and began brainstorming new hobbies for me, as life had slowed down a bit. A friend suggested roller derby and tryouts happened to be a month later. I pondered and decided why not? What’s the worst that could happen?”
“I of course didn’t have any of the gear, but a quick Amazon order took care of that. Then I was ready for tryouts. After a grueling tryout process, I was selected for summer boot camp which is the next step into being drafted by one of the four teams.”
“At the end of bootcamp, we have a big celebration where you are handed an envelope to inform you if you will be drafted or not. I received my ‘yes’ envelope and then was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick to the Dagger Dolls. I was shocked that I had not only made it through tryouts, but then to have been selected No. 1 was incredible. I played my first bout in October 2019 to a packed Roy Wilkins Auditorium and I will never forget that night.”
“Beyond our regular season, each year MNRD selects the best athletes from the four teams to represent the Minnesota All-Stars. In early 2020, my teammates encouraged me to try out. Again to my surprise,I was selected to the All-Star Team. We wrapped up our regular season in March 2020 where the Dagger Dolls placed third. The All-Star Team only had a couple practices before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and all wheels came to a screeching halt. The pandemic has been incredibly tough for team sports, including Roller Derby. We also rely on our dedicated fan base to support us and fill the stands, but we have not held a bout at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium since March 2020, but we’re hoping to get back to full force soon.”
Along with being an athlete for Minnesota Roller Derby, Cara also supports the team behind the scenes. “Minnesota Roller Derby is a member-run league, meaning each athlete must serve on a committee. I managed the social media committee until May 2021. However, without practice and bouts, it is hard to continue to create content so I have taken a step back from social media manager and will be pursuing a new committee when we are back up and skating.”
Cara also highlighted the benefits of being so active in such a physically strenuous sport. “Practices are incredibly hard. This is also a sport I knew nothing about and had no idea how to play. It is not only extremely strenuous but also mentally exhausting learning a brand new sport. There is no feeling like the morning after a bout, being incredibly sore and finding bruises in the funniest places.”
But what stands out the most to Cara about Minnesota Roller Derby is the community. “From the moment I showed up to tryouts, I immediately was welcomed with open arms. Minnesota Roller Derby empowers women, non-binary, and gender expansive people to thrive and build a community around camaraderie and social responsibility. We are hyper-focused on building an inclusive space for all to feel welcome.”
Cara is pleased to now have a lot more time outside of work to make lasting memories, while also displaying her Gopher pride. “I have been finding a balance between work and play. I love spending time with family and friends. My partner and I have enjoyed traveling and going to gopher games, including the bowl game in Arizona! GO GOPHERS! RAH!”
