"Learning about the Paralympics also meant being introduced to the disability community in a way I never had before. I hadn't grown up around many people with disabilities, and suddenly I was meeting all these athletes who, like me, had disabilities and were fiercely competitive in sport. It was a little overwhelming at first, but also really exciting."
"I started diving into everything I could find about the Paralympics and eventually learned that I actually qualified for a classification. That's when the dream began to form. Maybe I could make the Trials for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games."
"For the first time, it felt like I might truly be competing on an even playing field. But that same day, I nearly walked away from it all. I was running well until I fell on the track with 10 meters left in the race."
Dani Aravich grew up in Boise, Idaho, playing multiple sports and eventually competed in Division I track and field. After college, while working for an NBA team, she learned about the Paralympics for the first time and was introduced to the disability community. This discovery sparked her interest in competitive Paralympic sports. She began training in 2019 and attended her first para track meet, where she connected with other female athletes with similar arm impairments. Despite an early setback when she fell during a race, she persisted in pursuing her Paralympic dream.
Read at Business Insider
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