Danelle Umstead

Danelle Umstead is a Paralympian ski racing champion and motivational speaker.

At thirteen, Umstead was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that results in total blindness. At twenty-nine, nearly blind, Umstead’s father offered to take her skiing for the first time. In the 3 minutes it took to ski down the mountain, she had found her passion.

A few years later, Umstead met her husband, Rob Umstead, and together they formed Team Vision4Gold, becoming the first husband and wife visually impaired ski race team to compete and medal for Team USA. They competed in multiple Paralympic Winter Games, earning bronze medals in both the downhill and super combined events at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympic Games, and another bronze in the super combined at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games.

In 2010, shortly after winning medals at the Paralympics, Umstead was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The nerve disease paralyzed half of her body. She first had to relearn how to walk, and then how to ski again.

Umstead was named the Athlete of the Year in 2010 by the National Sports Center for the Disabled and Adaptive Athlete of the Year in 2011 by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. She ended the season with the overall and super G World Cup titles, further establishing her prowess in the sport.

In addition to her athletic achievements, Umstead travels the world as a motivational speaker, sharing her experiences and insights on overcoming adversity and empowerment. Her keynote speech, "How to do the Impossible Every Day," focuses on leading and empowering teams to overcome obstacles. She is currently working on writing her memoir, which is expected to launch around the 2022 Paralympic Games.

Umstead’s hobbies include hiking, paddle boarding, camping, cooking, shopping, composting, going on road trips with her family, entertaining guests, and remodeling the family property. She is also passionate about giving back and inspiring others, mentoring junior disabled athletes by sharing her story and offering encouragement. In March 2021, she launched the Sisters in Sports Foundation, aimed at empowering girls and women with disabilities through sports.