July is Disability Pride Month, and we’re celebrating six incredible para-athletes who are redefining what it means to compete – showcasing extraordinary talent across sports, from wheelchair basketball to para alpine skiing, while inspiring others to pursue their athletic dreams.

Sport: Wheelchair Basketball

@courtneyryan_55

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Courtney Ryan is a two-time Paralympian and decorated wheelchair basketball athlete from San Diego, California. A former All-American soccer defender at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Courtney's athletic journey took a new path after a spinal cord injury left her paralyzed. She transitioned to wheelchair basketball at the University of Arizona, where she also studied special education with a focus on disability studies. A fierce competitor and passionate leader, she has earned a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and a silver at Paris 2024.

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“I remember going into the gym for the first time and seeing wheelchair basketball, and instantly I was hooked. I loved the aggressiveness. I loved the passion coming from the players,” Ryan said. “I knew instantly. ‘This is me. Sign me up.'

Sport: Para Track and Field (Thrower)

@arelle.mid08

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Making her Paralympic debut at just 16 years old, Arelle Middleton became the youngest Paralympic medalist for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Games. Hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California, Middleton earned a silver medal in the women’s F64 shot put and reached the finals in the F64 discus. A dynamic multi-sport athlete, she balances her international competition with high school sports, where she plays both wheelchair basketball and track and field.

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In high school, Middleton competes against non-disabled athletes. “With able-bodied kids, they can use their body differently,” Middleton said, “They have both of their legs. They can do certain things a lot stronger. But it doesn’t matter because I can still compete with them.”

Sport: Para Nordic Ski

@natalie_wilkie_

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Natalie Wilkie is a dominant Canadian para-nordic skier who has become one of the sport's biggest stars since her remarkable Paralympic debut at age 17 in 2018. Competing in the LW8 classification, the British Columbia native has won seven Paralympic medals across two Games (PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022) and excels in both cross-country skiing and biathlon. In the 2024-25 season, she captured four World Cup biathlon victories, earned double gold at the Para biathlon world championships, and continues to dominate women's standing events on the international stage.

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“I really like the Para community,” Wilkie said, shortly after her injury. “They’re super open and non-judgmental and accepting of everyone’s disabilities or injuries.”

Sport: Para Snowboard
@bren_hucks

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Brenna Huckaby is a trailblazing para snowboarder from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The three-time Paralympic gold medalist and five-time World Champion made history at the 2018 PyeongChang Games by winning the first-ever Paralympic gold in banked slalom, and has continued her mastery with additional medals at the 2022 Beijing Games and her recent 2024-25 Snowboard Cross Crystal Globe victory. Outside of competing, Huckaby co-founded the company Culxtured to change the narrative around para sports.

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“Representation was so minimal,” Huckaby reflected. “And since becoming an elite-level Paralympian, I know how much hard work and sacrifice goes into being at the level that I’m at, but I feel like there’s still such a big gap in that awareness and in the education of it.”

Sport: Para Nordic Ski / Para Track and Field

@theonearmdan

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Dani Aravich is a two-sport Paralympian who competed in track and field at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and Nordic skiing at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, where she twice placed in the top ten. A member of the U.S. Paralympic Nordic National Team, she earned gold in the mixed relay at the 2023 World Para Nordic Championships. Along with Huckaby, Aravich co-founded Culxtured to educate and challenge societal perceptions around disabilities.

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“For a long time, I was afraid to even say the word disability- I thought it was a dirty word,” Aravich shared, “But learning about this community, and leaning into it, has brought me more connection and pride than I ever imagined. We’re not hiding. We’re celebrating. We’re showing up – as athletes, employees, students, and citizens – and we’re asking you to show up with us.”

Sport: Para Alpine Skiing

@ebbaarsjo

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Ebba Årsjö is a Swedish para alpine skiing champion who was born with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome in her right leg. She made her Paralympic debut at the Beijing Games in 2022, winning two gold medals to become an eight-time world champion and a two-time Paralympic champion. At the recent Maribor 2025 Para Alpine World Ski Championships, she remained unbeaten in the standing category, capturing her third consecutive slalom world title along with the giant slalom gold, positioning herself as a top favorite for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

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“By being exposed to what I fear the most, which is to show my leg and talk about it, and tell people that I have a disability… after exposure and exposure, I started to notice people being so kind and having a good reaction to my leg,” Årsjö shared, “Slowly [my attitude changed] to like my leg [and see it as] something good. I don't hate it.”