With Sisters in Sports, Female Para Athletes Are Never Alone

Opportunity, for four-time Paralympian Danelle Umstead, wasn't just about her own alpine skiing career. It's more than her three Paralympic bronze medals, too. Umstead wants to help more women find their space through opening doors.

Sisters in Sports, non-profit foundation co-founded by Umstead, along with multi-sport Paralympic gold medalists Oksana Masters and Kendall Gretsch, is born from the dream of geeting female athletes with disabilities what they really need to thrive throughout their journeys.

Sponsorship. Mentoring. And unwavering support from those who live in the Para and adaptive sports spaces. 

“It’s a movement. It’s a sisterhood,” said Umstead, a resident of Park City, Utah. “And together we are creating a space where no woman with a disability has to chase her dreams alone. Sisters in Sports exists because no woman with a disability should have to chase her dreams alone.  

“When an athlete joins SIS, she becomes part of a sisterhood that supports her year after year through mentorship, financial grants, mental performance support and a community that truly understands her journey.” 

Umstead is in northern Italy this month cheering on the seven Sisters in Sports athletes who are competing for Team USA at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

Masters and Gretsch are competing across the cross-country skiing and biathlon events, along with Nicole Zaino. They’re joined by alpine skiers Allie Johnson, Hailey Griffin, Saylor O’Brien and the sibling team of Meg Gustafson and guide Spenser Gustafson, as well as snowboarder Kate Delson. 

Umstead and her co-founders created Sisters in Sports in 2020, and the foundation quietly built capacity during the pandemic. It received its first grant in 2022 and has been expanding since that time. Masters serves as vice president and is on the board, while 
Gretsch is the organization’s treasurer. 

The foundation has three main focuses: wellness programming, funding and mentoring. The grant window opens once per year, and interested female athletes with disabilities can reach the program at sisterinsportsfoundation.org. But Umstead’s desire is to support the athletes in a long-term way, not just through a one-time grant. 

Umstead wants the relationships to thrive, creating the bond for true support. 

“What makes this movement powerful is that our athletes don’t just receive support — they grow, they lead and they reach back to lift the next woman up,” said Umstead, who also serves as Sisters in Sports’ CEO and president. “From the beginning, I’ve told every athlete, co-founder, board member, mentor and supporter — this isn’t just my foundation ... it belongs to all of us. Together we are building a community where women with disabilities can thrive in sport and in life, and where every girl watching can believe there is a place for her too.  

“When people choose to support Sisters in Sports, they are helping create a future where no woman stands alone and where the power of sisterhood continues to change lives for generations to come.” 

Masters made her Paralympic debut in 2012 as a rower. In the years since, she’s competed at every Paralympic Games as either a cyclist or Nordic skier. Now 36, she heads into her eighth Paralympics this month as Team USA’s most decorated Winter Paralympian and a 19-time medalist overall. 

“I wish Sisters in Sports existed when I was younger, because this community of women and girls with disabilities just didn’t exist,” Masters said. 

Building that community and mentoring the next generation are now central to her work with Sisters in Sports. 

“It’s learning how to find your voice and share your story and rise together and create a community and a sisterhood of people who understand the challenges and mentorships, too,” she said.  

Gretsch is a seven-time Paralympic medalist in Nordic skiing and triathlon. Going into her fifth Games, she brings a wealth of experience to Sisters in Sports. Gretsch wants the foundation to serve as her commitment to making Para sports more open for women. 

“I think it’s really important to me to be able to give back, being a part of sport now for a number of years,” Gretsch, 33, said. “I think our goal is to show people the power of sport, especially women and girls with disabilities. But also to be able to build a community of people. And I think that’s the number one driver for us as well, which is building a community where people are supportive of one another and help them accomplish whatever their kind of goal is — whether it’s to compete at the Paralympics or just to be active, building up support that support community.” 

The challenge facing many Para athletes is finding strong, and consistent, support to fund training, equipment, travel and coaching. Umstead, 54, was at the height of her Paralympic career in the 2010s and remembers how her journey felt. 

“My journey in Para alpine skiing was incredible, but it was also very lonely at times,” she said. “When I was coming up in the sport, there really wasn’t a community of women with disabilities supporting one another. You were often navigating funding, travel, training and life in sport on your own. I saw so many women and girls leave sport because of this. 

“Something like Sisters in Sports would have meant having a network of women who understood the journey and could help guide you through it. That’s exactly why I started SIS, so the next generation of women wouldn’t have to feel like they’re doing this alone.” 

Joanne C. Gerstner is a veteran sports journalist and book author, with a focus on Olympic and Paralympic sports. She is a freelance contributor to USParaNordic.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.