Danelle Umstead is one of the most decorated Paralympians and has managed to win multiple medals and awards in various categories of alpine skiing. What makes her success even more impressive is that she didn’t start skiing until she was 29 years old. She was introduced to the sport by her father, who was her first guide. In the next phase of her career, she was supported by her husband, Rob Umstead, who is a collegiate skier. He became her full-time training partner and played an integral part in several of her greatest triumphs.

Born name

Danelle D’Aquanni

nickname

Danelle

Sun sign

Aquarius

Place of birth

Taos, New Mexico, United States

Residence

Park City, Utah, United States

nationality

training

Danelle Umstead went to Plano High School in Plano, Texas and graduated from there in 1990.

occupation

Alpine skier, Paralympian

family

• Father – Peter D’Aquanni (He introduced Danelle to blind skiing in 2000.)
• mother – unknown
• Siblings – Nicole D’Aquanni (Sister), Michele D’Aquanni (Sister)

Manager

unknown

Build

Athletic

Height

157,5 cm (5 ft 2 in)

weight

53 kg or 117 lbs

friend/spouse

Danelle Umstead has dated –

1. Rob Umstead (2008-Present) – In 2008, she married RobUmstead in a romantic and intimate mountaintop wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, they drove down to her reception together. She had first met him on the slopes in Taos, New Mexico. She later had trouble finding a leader who would commit to a full-time training schedule. In 2008 Rob decided to join and has been her team partner ever since. She also gave birth to their son, Brocton, during the course of their marriage.

race/ethnicity

White

hair colour

dark brown

eye color

Blau

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

deep blue eyes

brand promotion

Danelle Umstead has signed a personal sponsorship deal with automotive giant, Toyota .

She has also signed sponsorship deals with the following –

• Deloitte
• Comcast
• Ericsson
• natural balance
• POC

Known for

As one of the most successful Paralympians in the USA. She was a member of the US Paralympic team and competed in several skiing events including women’s slalom, giant slalom, downhill, super-G and combined.

First TV show

In January 2014, Danelle Umstead made her first TV show appearance on news series, Access Hollywood .

Personal trainer

Danelle Umstead relies on her regular and intense ski training to keep her body in the right shape. She also has an active lifestyle and loves a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking and paddle boarding which provide further physical exercise.

Danelle Umstead favorite things

• Hobbies – hiking, paddling, camping, cooking, shopping, composting
• Singer – Michael Franti

Danelle Umstead Facts

1. Their blindness is caused by the degenerative disease called retinitis pigmentosa , which is caused by the breakdown of retinal cells.
2. At the age of 13 she lost visual acuity in her right eye. When she was 27, she lost central vision in her left eye.
3. It was her childhood dream to join the US Army. However, when she lost her sight, she realized that it was impossible to achieve her dream.
4. Although she is famous for her skiing, she didn’t learn to ski until she was 29 due to her achievements. In interviews, she found that being introduced to skiing changed her life as she realized she could do anything.
5. Her first ski guide was her father, who learned to work with visually impaired athletes.
6. In 2010, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, requiring her to relearn how to ski. She even had to change the way she walked. She had just won two bronze medals at the Vancouver Paralympic Winter Games and was in no mood to let sclerosis stop her.
7. She used to rely on her black lab dog, Betty Lynn, on the slopes. But after Betty developed optic atrophy and went blind, she brought in yellow Lab Aziza as her primary guide dog.
8. In 2011, she was named Adaptive Athlete of the Year by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association.
9. In 2010, the National Sports Center for the Disabled voted her Athlete of the Year.
10. At the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, she managed to win a bronze medal in super combined.
11. At the 2015 World Championships, she managed to win silver medals in downhill and super-G. She also won a bronze medal in the super combined.
12. She also works as a motivational speaker. She has worked with young athletes with disabilities as a mentor.
13. She has worked with her husband to create the team called Vision4Gold . She has revealed that vision means having a sight, a dream, or an idea.
14. In September 2018, it was announced that she had joined the cast of Dancing with the Stars for the fall season. She also became the show’s first visually impaired contestant.
15. Visit their official website @ vision4gold.com.
16. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.