John, 

I personally like cataphoric reference at times. It can establish a context before clarifying the referent. Consider (1) and (2).

1. Upset by her dreams, Sara decided to stay awake. 
2. His being a lonely life, Martin resolved to start dating. 

However, with the increasing concern with gender neutrality, some would be put off by such clear pronominal references being prominent (fronted). If that were the case, the neutral "they" would be totally misleading as in (3). 

3. Upset by their dreams, Sara decided to stay awake. 

Only an adherence to traditional gender designations will allow for the more sensible examples in (1) and (2). 

Something to consider for those of us teaching in public institutions. 

All the best, 

Til

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