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Visually impaired US skier Danelle Umstead and her guide husband Rob are together known as team Vision4Gold.
Their incredible relationship has taken them to two Paralympic Winter Games and has seen them step onto the podium twice consecutively.
However before 2015 they had not won a World Championships medal, agonisingly missing out by just one place four times.
That all changed at the 2015 World Championships, with not just one but three medals. They also finished on top of the World Cup rankings in 2014-15.
Danelle is an inspiration to many not just because of her ability to ski down a mountain with only the voice of her husband to follow, but also because in 2010 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has being skiing with the condition ever since.
The pair are determined to compete at PyeongChang 2018 and with a switch in focus to the downhill as Danelle’s specialist event, the plan appears to be coming together nicely.
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Biography
Impairment information
Type of Impairment
Vision impairment
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
B2
Guide
Rob Umstead [husband]
Further personal information
Family
Husband Rob, son Brocton
Other names
Danelle D'Aquanni
Residence
Park City, UT, USA
Occupation
Athlete, Motivational Speaker
Languages
English
Sport specific information
When and where did you begin this sport?
She first tried adaptive skiing in 2001 in New Mexico, United States of America.
Why this sport?
Her father introduced her to the sport and was her guide. She found that the more she skied, the more she craved speed and steeper terrain. "I felt a sense of freedom and joy I had not experienced since losing sight. I love to work hard, I love feeling in control, and out of control at the same time. It gives me the adrenaline I never knew I craved. The mountains, the sun, and my skis are my happy place."
Name of coach
Erik Leirfallom [personal]
International debut
Year
2010
Competing for
United States
Tournament
World Cup
Location
Vancouver, BC, CAN
General interest
Nicknames
D (IPC, 10 Feb 2018)
Hobbies
Hiking, tandem cycling, camping, paddle boarding, shopping, working on her house, spending time with family and friends. (teamusa.org, 07 Mar 2018, 30 Jan 2017)
Hero / Idol
Her mother, her husband, and her son. (IPC, 10 Feb 2018)
Injuries
In February 2020 she broke the tibia and fibula bones in her leg during a downhill practice run in Kimberley, BC, Canada. She returned to training in November 2020. (Facebook page, 14 Nov 2020; teamusa.org, 03 Nov 2020)
In 2016 she broke the radius bone in her arm after crashing at the 2016 US National Championships. She had a plate and 10 screws inserted into the injury. (IPC, 10 Feb 2018)
In 2016 she broke the radius bone in her arm after crashing at the 2016 US National Championships. She had a plate and 10 screws inserted into the injury. (IPC, 10 Feb 2018)
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs
She likes to listen to singer Michael Franti prior to a race. (teamusa.org, 30 Jan 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Living the impossible every day." (IPC, 10 Feb 2018)
Awards and honours
She was named Adaptive Athlete of the Year at the 2011 United States Ski and Snowboard Association [USSA] Awards. (nordicskiracer.com, 24 May 2011)
She was named the 2009/10 Athlete of the Year by the National Sports Center for the Disabled [NSCD] in Winter Park, CO, United States of America. (LinkedIn profile, 2017)
During her career she has received a Utah History-Maker Award in the United States of America. (IPC, 10 Feb 2018)
She was named the 2009/10 Athlete of the Year by the National Sports Center for the Disabled [NSCD] in Winter Park, CO, United States of America. (LinkedIn profile, 2017)
During her career she has received a Utah History-Maker Award in the United States of America. (IPC, 10 Feb 2018)
Famous relatives
Her husband Rob competed in able-bodied skiing at university level in the United States of America. He has also served as her guide during competitions. (cnn.com, 16 Dec 2016; vision4gold.com, 2010)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. (teamusa.org, 03 Nov 2020)
Impairment
She began losing her sight at age 13 after she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and early onset macular degeneration. She initially lost all usable vision in her right eye and by age 27 had lost central vision in her left eye. In 2010 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. (IPC, 10 Feb 2018; cnn.com, 16 Dec 2016; paralympic.org, 03 Oct 2015; denverpost.com, 20 Feb 2010)
Other information
RETIREMENT PLANS
She intends to retire from the sport following the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. She made the decision after she suffered a serious broken leg in February 2020 while training in Kimberley, BC, Canada. "I truly believe in my heart that, yes, we are strong enough as a team to make this happen, and that we will be ready. Hopefully, we can do what it takes, you never know." (teamusa.org, 03 Nov 2020)
ILLNESS
In 2010 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She had been training in Colorado, United States of America. "I woke up the next morning and I couldn't feel anything on the right side, from my rib cage all the way to my foot. I had to learn how to walk again, I had to learn how to jog again, I had to learn how to do sit-ups again. This is an ongoing struggle. Learning to manage the fatigue and overcoming the bad days has taught me a lot about never giving up and never giving in." (IPC, 10 Feb 2018; cnn.com, 16 Dec 2016)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2018 she appeared on the US TV show 'Dancing with the Stars'. "In 2007 I stood in front of the TV, holding my son Brocton as a newborn baby, and said out loud, 'I want to be the first blind person on Dancing with the Stars'. I'm so excited and I'm honoured, and I can't believe life came full circle and my dream is really coming true. You better be really careful what you wish for!" (paralympic.org, 25 Sep 2018)
She intends to retire from the sport following the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. She made the decision after she suffered a serious broken leg in February 2020 while training in Kimberley, BC, Canada. "I truly believe in my heart that, yes, we are strong enough as a team to make this happen, and that we will be ready. Hopefully, we can do what it takes, you never know." (teamusa.org, 03 Nov 2020)
ILLNESS
In 2010 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She had been training in Colorado, United States of America. "I woke up the next morning and I couldn't feel anything on the right side, from my rib cage all the way to my foot. I had to learn how to walk again, I had to learn how to jog again, I had to learn how to do sit-ups again. This is an ongoing struggle. Learning to manage the fatigue and overcoming the bad days has taught me a lot about never giving up and never giving in." (IPC, 10 Feb 2018; cnn.com, 16 Dec 2016)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2018 she appeared on the US TV show 'Dancing with the Stars'. "In 2007 I stood in front of the TV, holding my son Brocton as a newborn baby, and said out loud, 'I want to be the first blind person on Dancing with the Stars'. I'm so excited and I'm honoured, and I can't believe life came full circle and my dream is really coming true. You better be really careful what you wish for!" (paralympic.org, 25 Sep 2018)
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Downhill Visually impaired | Final Round | 3 | ||
| Women's Super-G Visually impaired | Final Round | 4 | ||
| Women's Super Combined Visually impaired | Final Round | 3 | ||
| Women's Giant Slalom Visually impaired | Final Round | 8 | ||
| Women's Slalom Visually impaired | Final Round | 9999 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Downhill VI | Final | 2011-01-16 | 9999 | |
| Women's Super-G VI | Final | 2011-01-18 | 4 | |
| Women's Super-Combined VI | Final | 2011-01-19 | 4 | |
| Women's Slalom VI | Final | 2011-01-20 | 6 | |
| Women's Giant Slalom VI | Final | 2011-01-21 | 9999 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Downhill VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-20 | 4 | |
| Women's Super-G VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-21 | 5 | |
| Women's Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-24 | 9999 | |
| Women's Super-Combined VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-25 | 4 | |
| Women's Giant Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2013-02-26 | 5 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Downhill Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-08 | 5 | |
| Women's Super-G Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-10 | 4 | |
| Women's Slalom Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-12 | 4 | |
| Women's Super Combined Visually Impaired | Final Round | 2014-03-14 | 3 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Downhill VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-04 | 2 | |
| Women's Super-G VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-05 | 2 | |
| Women's Super-Combined VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-07 | 3 | |
| Women's Giant Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-08 | 9999 | |
| Women's Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2015-03-10 | 4 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Downhill VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-25 | 4 | |
| Women's Super-G VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-26 | 3 | |
| Women's Super-Combined VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-28 | 9999 | |
| Women's Giant Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-30 | 7 | |
| Women's Slalom VI | Race 1 | 2017-01-31 | 8 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Downhill Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-10 | 9999 | |
| Women's Super-G Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-11 | 6 | |
| Women's Super Combined Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-13 | 8 | |
| Women's Giant Slalom Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-14 | 8 | |
| Women's Slalom Visually Impaired | Final | 2018-03-18 | 9999 |
