UNITING WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH SPORTS

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Danelle Umstead. Danelle was recognized as a 2024 Women of Worth honoree by L’Oréal Paris. These nonprofit leaders each receive $25,000 to support their cause, mentorship from the L’Oréal Paris network and a national platform to tell their stories. Nominations for 2025 are now open through March 8, 2025. Nominate an inspirational leader today!

As a celebrated para-alpine skier, Danelle Umstead knows a thing or two about overcoming challenges.

At 13, Danelle was diagnosed with Retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that causes progressive vision loss and blindness. Her parents taught her to hide her disability, which led to a childhood of living in the shadows. By 27, Danelle had lost all her usable vision. However, this didn’t stop her from defying the odds.

Danelle discovered para-alpine skiing and went on to become a four-time Paralympian and Paralympic medalist. Off the success of her athletic career, Danelle is now on a mission to empower and unite women and girls with disabilities. She founded the Sisters in Sports Foundation, which works to give strength to other girls and women by providing them with the same empowering experiences that taught her to rise up and take hold of her potential.

Girls and women who participate in the Sisters in Sports Foundation’s efforts are given an opportunity to thrive. Whether it’s through wellness programs, grant opportunities or mentorship, participants can build connections and support. Some participants learn to hit the slopes just like Danelle did and are provided with the guidance of sports psychologists who help the athletes navigate the pressures of competition with confidence. Others participate in virtual roundtables, taking advantage of initiatives like breathwork and improv comedy that build community.

However, the participants also learn how to take their experience and use it to help others. Through mentorship programs, the girls and women are taught that the best way to tell their unique stories is by passing them on to someone else.

Danelle’s journey from a difficult childhood to 53 World Cup podiums is an incredible triumph, but her mission to pass that triumph on to the next generation is a testament to the power of volunteering.

Tell us about your volunteer role with the Sisters in Sports Foundation.

My day-to-day responsibilities run from one extreme to the other. From bookkeeping to mentoring to running our programs, I do it all, you name it. We have round tables, like a mental self-advocacy workshop. We just finished one last week where we brought in coaches to teach the girls about learning how to tell their stories authentically. We have breathwork round tables, positive body image workshops and mentorship workshops so that you can pay it forward. That’s the big thing. We always say that once you’re in, you’re in for life, and we hope that all the women and girls that go through our program want to pay it forward to the next generation, so that creates a movement.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

I was a young girl growing up with a disability and never felt like I found my space or place in life. When I was growing up, disability was not socially acceptable. Even my parents taught me to hide my disability, which is really awful looking back now. I found sports in my thirties, and when I found sports, I found a new life and new beginnings. I found the ability to believe in myself and all the great things that come from sports.

Through my experiences, I did not want any other woman or girl to feel what I did, like they were in the dark or not seen. I founded the Sisters in Sports Foundation to highlight and amplify the lives of women and girls with disabilities through the love of sports and help them achieve whatever their dreams may be, either in sports or in life. I want to ignite a new movement where girls with disabilities are seen.

What inspires you to volunteer?

I would say that the feeling I get from helping the community and seeing people’s lives change. It pushes me to help even more and makes me want to affect more lives in the same way. Just being able to make a difference is huge. Helping others is more rewarding than I ever thought was possible. Being selfless is the best thing you can do.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

Our long-term plans for the Sisters in Sports Foundation would be to help as many girls as possible. We’re not a huge organization yet, and we don’t want to bring in women and girls and not be able to help them thoroughly with the program. The greater part would be to provide that for every woman and girl with a disability, and for this to impact all lives.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

I would say we’re now at a point where we can see our athletes who have been with us since the beginning wanting to pay it forward and mentor the next generation while succeeding on their own. Seeing them blossom, whether it’s telling their stories or being proud of the women they are. When we met most of these athletes or women, they didn’t know how to tell their stories. Being proud and empowered by their own story is a beautiful thing.

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about.

We hired an amazing woman to do improv classes with the girls. We’re constantly trying to evolve in our programs. Sometimes it’s trial and error. Sometimes we’re like, oh, that didn’t go as well as we planned, and the girls are the ones who give the voice back. Sometimes it’s like, oh, my gosh, that is amazing. So yes, we have improv coming up, and then breath work will be our new journey too that’s coming up in the next couple of months. Also, the girls started their own book club. Building connection and building support, where they’re connecting and supporting one another, and just having that collaboration– that’s the most empowering thing to have.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

I would just say, reach out and ask. Start talking to people and finding out what is the best match for you. Find out what would make you happy and where you can help support any foundation. I asked tons of people. I asked a lot of questions. I did a lot of research and felt the need for Sisters in Sports was there. There was nothing else out there like this for females with disabilities, so I wanted to make sure to fill that void that was out there.

You also have a full-time job. How do you balance that with being a founder and president of SIS?

I do a lot of speaking and traveling for work. You just learn to adapt like anything in life. My priorities are the foundation, my public speaking and what I do for work, so it’s kind of on equal ground to make it happen. They both bring me happiness and both bring value to my life.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Danelle? Find local volunteer opportunities.