The Backstory:
Dani Aravich was born missing her left hand and forearm, but she didn’t miss out on playing any sport while she was growing up. She tried her hand at soccer, softball, basketball, and ice skating before finally settling on running cross country and track for her high school. She went on to compete for Butler University, Division 1, for her freshman year before shifting focus to solely her studies. After graduation, Aravich secured her dream job and decided to start running again. She competed in a few smaller races before deciding to fully pursue her dream of making it to the Paralympics. She quit her full-time job and started training. She will be representing Team USA in Tokyo.
Away from the track:
Throughout her training, Aravich got in touch with a Nordic Ski coach who helped unlock her potential for cross country skiing. She works hard to maintain a balance between training on the track and ski course. In 2020 she launched a small photography business, One Hand Clicks, that focuses on making photography accessible even if you only have one hand.
In their own words:
“I was competitive. I wanted to play, but I also didn’t want people to look at me and feel bad for me. I didn’t want people to be like, ‘Ah, that’s nice. She’s on the varsity team, but she has one arm so she’s sitting on the bench’.”
“Your only limit is you. My goal in life is to accomplish greatness, and for me I think that will be through sports.”
“I went through issues of self-confidence throughout my younger teen years, as most girls do at that age. I was scared boys wouldn’t want to date me because of my arm, and I was scared going in public because I did not want strangers to ask questions. In high school I fully embraced who I was and what made me different. It was at this age I stopped wearing my prosthetic arm and allowed my small arm to be seen in public.”
Learn More:
IPC Page
Team USA Page
CAF Page
World Para Nordic Skiing: “Danielle Aravich’s Mission: Make Dual Games Debuts Six Months Apart”
