Danielle Aitchison, a New Zealand Paralympic sprinter with cerebral palsy and hearing loss, has used her disabilities as fuel to build an incredible career that shows how determination can overcome huge challenges.
Born on August 16, 2001, in Morrinsville, New Zealand, Danielle grew up in Patetonga in the Hauraki District. She attended Kaihere School. Right from birth, she faced serious health issues.
Doctors diagnosed her with severe jaundice, which led to oxygen deprivation and brain damage. This caused cerebral palsy, specifically two uncommon types: athetoid and ataxia.
These affect her coordination, muscle tone, and balance, she can get fatigued easily, her limbs feel floppy at times, and she sometimes wobbles or shakes, especially at the start of a race.
She was also born with 80-90% hearing loss. Over time, she received cochlear implants in both ears, which have helped her hear better and stay connected during competitions and life.
As a kid, Danielle loved being active. She tried ballet, netball, and hockey, and came from a sporty family. But mainstream sports became tough in school.
Her disabilities made it hard to keep up, especially with hearing challenges in team games. She felt different and eventually stopped playing sports in high school because there weren’t many opportunities for disabled athletes back then.
Everything changed at age 16 in 2017. Encouraged by her mum, she attended the Halberg Junior Disability Games in Auckland. For the first time, she discovered para-sport was open to her.
She loved it right away and started competing in para-athletics. She even tried long jump and won a national title in that event.
Her international breakthrough came quickly. In 2019, she represented New Zealand at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. She finished fourth in the 100m T36 and took silver in the 200m T36 with an Oceania record time of 29.86 seconds.
At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics (held in 2021), Danielle shone brightly. She finished fastest in her 200m heat, then won silver in the final with 29.88 seconds. She also claimed bronze in the 100m T36.
Since then, her career has soared. She won gold in the 200m T36 at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, setting a new Oceania record. She added more medals, including silvers at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in both the 100m and 200m T36.
Her biggest year came in 2025. At the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, Danielle struck double gold in the women’s 100m and 200m T36.
She even shattered her own world record in the 200m with an amazing time of 27.18 seconds. That stellar season earned her the ISPS Handa Halberg Award as Para Athlete of the Year in 2026—a huge honor in New Zealand para-sport.
Danielle competes in the T36 classification for athletes with coordination impairments from cerebral palsy. She trains with the Hamilton City Hawks Athletics club and works with coaches who understand her unique needs.
Her journey inspires many. She often says her disabilities don’t define her, they motivate her. Growing up without much para-sport access made her want to give back.
She hopes more kids with disabilities learn early that sport is for them too. Danielle proves that with hard work, support, and belief, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Leave a Comment