Personal
In 2000, Umstead's father first introduced her to adaptive skiing in their home state of New Mexico when she was 29. She fell in love with the sport right away. Skiing not only gave her a new passion for life, but it also led her to her husband Rob while she was skiing in New Mexico. After he landed a job in Park City, Utah, and the couple moved, Umstead struggled to find a consistent guide until Rob took the job in 2008. The husband and wife duo also founded team Vision4Gold. "Vision,” Umstead says, "is to have sight, an idea, or a dream.” Umstead has an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa and early onset macular degeneration, meaning she has no central vision and is losing her peripheral vision. In 2010, shortly after winning two bronze medals at the Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver, she found out that she also has multiple sclerosis. That did not slow her down. She went on to make her second Paralympic Team in 2014, grabbing bronze and quickly became the one to beat...Has two sisters, Nicole and Michele...Married her husband,
Rob Umstead, in 2008...Has one son, Brocton...Hobbies include hiking, paddle boarding, camping, cooking, shopping, composting, going on road trips with her family, entertaining guests and remodeling the family property...Passionate about giving back and inspiring others...She mentors junior disabled athletes by sharing her story and offering encouragement...Her motto is "Living the impossible every day"...Favorite singer is Michael Franti and listens to his music before every race...Has two dogs, Betty Lynn (retired guide dog) and Aziza (current guide dog)...Camps in Oregon for one month every summer...Her father was her first guide on the mountain...Named Adaptive Athlete of the Year in 2011 by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association...Named Athlete of the Year in 2010 by the National Sports Center for the Disabled.
Paralympic Experience
- 4-time Paralympian; 3-time Paralympic medalist (3 bronze)
- Paralympic Games Beijing 2022, (Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women), 13th (Giant Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women)
- Paralympic Games Pyeongchang 2018, (Downhill - Visually Impaired - Women, Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women), 6th (Super-G - Visually Impaired - Women), 8th (Giant Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women, Super Combined - Visually Impaired - Women)
- Paralympic Games Sochi 2014, bronze (Super Combined - Visually Impaired - Women), 4th (Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women, Super-G - Visually Impaired - Women), 5th (Downhill - Visually Impaired - Women)
- Paralympic Games Vancouver 2010, (Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women), bronze (Downhill - Visually Impaired - Women, Super Combined - Visually Impaired - Women), 4th (Super-G - Visually Impaired - Women), 8th (Giant Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women)
World Championship Experience
- Most recent: 2017 – (Super Combined - Visually Impaired - Women), bronze (Super-G - Visually Impaired - Women), 4th (Downhill - Visually Impaired - Women), 7th (Giant Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women), 8th (Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women)
- Years of participation: Downhill - Visually Impaired - Women 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017; Giant Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017; Slalom - Visually Impaired - Women 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017; Super Combined - Visually Impaired - Women 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017; Super-G - Visually Impaired - Women 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017
- Medals: 4 (2 silver, 2 bronze)
- Silver – 2015 (Downhill - Visually Impaired - Women, Super-G - Visually Impaired - Women)
- Bronze – 2017 (Super-G - Visually Impaired - Women); 2015 (Super Combined - Visually Impaired - Women)
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