I didn't know the Paralympics were an option for me

I grew up in Boise, Idaho, playing soccer, basketball, and softball, and was recruited to a Division I school for track and field. After college I worked for an NBA team, and that's where I first learned the Paralympics existed; it hadn't been on my family's radar, so it never felt like an option.

Meeting other athletes introduced me to the disability community and I eventually learned I qualified for a classification. I started training while working full time and went to my first para meet in 2019. I fell with 10 meters left and almost quit, but my mom reminded me I'd already put months of work in, so I kept going.

I was later invited to try para cross-country skiing — very different from downhill — and in 2021 I competed in the T47 women's 400m at the Tokyo Paralympic Games (delayed by COVID). Six months later I raced at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, then decided to step away from track to focus on Nordic skiing toward the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Italy.

United States, Boise, Idaho

paralympics, boise, division i, track, nba, classification, para meet, t47 400m, tokyo paralympics, nordic skiing