The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games take place from August 28 to September 8, featuring approximately 4,400 athletes with a variety of disabilities from around the world. They will compete in 22 sports across various iconic venues in Paris, including at the Eiffel Tower, the Chateau de Versailles and the Grand Palais. Those sports include archery, rowing, running, tennis, basketball, power lifting and more. These sporting events raise awareness about disability, how amazing athletes can be with or without disabilities. and help the world become a more inclusive society. Just one example of this kind of improvement is the improved accessibility of the Paris ground transportation system.
The US Paralympic team has 225 members heading to Paris to compete in this year’s Paralympic games. This year, there are no Paralympians from New Mexico representing the United States. There is, however, one competing for Team Morocco and several past Paralympians with New Mexico ties who have competed in both summer and winter games.
Danelle Umstead
Danelle Umstead’s father first introduced her to adaptive skiing in their home state of New Mexico when she was 29. She fell in love with the sport right away. Skiing not only gave her a new passion for life, but it also led her to her husband Rob while she was skiing in New Mexico. After he landed a job in Park City, Utah, and the couple moved, Umstead struggled to find a consistent guide until Rob took the job in 2008. Umstead has an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa and early onset macular degeneration. She has no central vision and is losing her peripheral vision.
Danelle Umstead skied in the 2010 Vancouver games with her husband Rob as her sighted guide. They won bronze medals in two events. She also medaled in the 2014 Sochi games, and competed in the 2018 PyeongChang games, as well. Furthermore, she was on Season 27 of Dancing with the Stars!
Alana Nichols
Alana Nichols was born in New Mexico and following the loss of her father was raised by her grandparents in Farmington, New Mexico. Growing up, Nichols spent winters snowboarding. During a snowboarding trip in 2000, she attempted a back flip but over-rotated and landed back-first on a rock.
The injury left her paralyzed from the waist down. However, the injury didn’t stop her love of sports. Months later, Alana found herself at at University of New Mexico where she learned to play wheelchair basketball. Since then, Alana has competed and medaled in several past games. In fact, she is the first female Paralympian to win gold medals at both the summer and winter games. As a New Mexico Paralympian, she has won a total of six medals in her competitions. Currently she serves as the Past President of the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Brittani Coury
Snowboarder Brittani Coury was born in Farmington and grew up in Durango, Colorado. In 2003, she injured her ankle while snowboarding, and eventually amputated her leg below the knee as it didn’t heal properly. She competed in the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, and won a sliver medal at the 2018 PyeongChang winter games in the women’s banked slalom event. Inspired by her own journey undergoing surgeries, Brittani studied to become a registered nurse. In 2020, she volunteered to work on the COVID-19 floor of the hospital where she worked.
Nick Slade
Nick Slade from Albuquerque competed in the long jump in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro games. He was born missing most of his right arm and was a team captain for Albuquerque Academy’s soccer team. A local television station did a feature on him and the Albuquerque Academy soccer team back in 2014. Slade graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in economics. He won silver in the long jump, and bronze in the 100 meter at the 2016 USA Paralympic team trials.
Aymane El Haddaoui
El Haddaoui is representing Morocco in two track events at the Paralympics this year. He originally from Morocco, but attends and competes in sprints events for New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs. He won a sliver medal last year in the 4 x 400 meters relay at the Arab Sports Games in Algeria. Finally, El Haddoui has won multiple championships from the National Junior College Athletic Association and is both a two-time Indoor and Outdoor All-American.
Patrick Young
Patrick Young is on the USA Men’s Sitting Volleyball team. He graduated from Cibola High School and lives in Albuquerque. Young started playing volleyball in 2014, and also participated in the Warrior Games in 2015. He lost his leg when his motorcycle was sideswiped at 40 miles per hour. Additionally, he is a veteran, serving as an F-16 crew chief in the in the U.S. Air Force, earning the rank of Technical Sergeant, and retiring in 2007. His overall attitude is one of a growth mindset, noting that even at 53, he continues to learn and grow in his sport.
Did you know that Adelante’s helps people with disabilities travel New Mexico?
Thousands of Paralympians will travel to Paris this week for an amazing adventure. Did you know that our newest program, Destination Accessibility, helps travelers with disabilities explore New Mexico? That is, we have wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters available to rent to visitors. Therefore, if you’re traveling to New Mexico and need equipment, check us out and consider renting mobility equipment from us.