Danielle Doelling grew up on Long Island, New York. On June 4, 2011, Danielle fell rock climbing near Gunnison, Colorado, over 250 feet. She is now paralyzed at T6 and a wheelchair user.

Since her injury, she has become a passionate advocate for adaptive sports and disability justice. She loves handcycling, both on and off road, and mono skiing. She was a proud founding member of the Challenged Athletes Foundation Women’s Handcycling Team, and competed from 2019-2024 around the country and world in para-cycling, including 2 World Cups. In 2023, she became the first women’s para Gravel National Champion at the gravel national championship in Gering, Nebraska.

Danielle’s story is also featured in the documentary ADAPTED, which follows three outdoor adventurers reclaiming their lives after traumatic spinal cord injuries through ambitious outdoor challenges. In the film, Danielle takes on an incredible endurance goal — hand-cycling 87 miles across the rugged White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park — showing the world what grit and creativity look like in action.

She completed her masters degree in occupational therapy at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA in 2016. Danielle currently lives with her husband and works as a certified hand therapist OT. Her latest adventure is parenthood, she gave birth to a baby girl in 2025, and loves taking her daughter on bike rides.

You will often find Danielle riding the Oregon Adaptive Sports group rides in her hometown of Bend, Oregon.

Stories about Danielle:
The Film ADAPTED

Organizations Danielle Supports:
Oregon Adaptive Sports
High Fives Foundation
Challenged Athlete Foundation
Kelly Brush Foundation

Articles about Handcycling:
What is Handcycling

Danielle’s Favorite Dirty Freehub Routes:
Hauling Lava
Coffee Run