Claire Danson is competing in her first full Ironman in Sacramento this weekend, hoping to become the fifth woman using a wheelchair to complete the race.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Elite athletes from around the world are arriving in Sacramento this weekend for Ironman California, including Claire Danson, a competitor from London who could make history as the fifth woman using a wheelchair to complete an Ironman race.
Danson has been paralyzed since 2019, when she collided with a tractor while training for a triathlon.
“I’m paralyzed from T5, which is about from here down. So, I don’t have any sensation or function from there downwards,” she said. “After my accident, it was really important to me to get back into sport. In actual fact, the first thing that I communicated—I was on a vent, so I couldn’t speak—on the letter board they gave me, the first thing I wrote was para-athlete.”
Years of dedication have brought her to this point, as she prepares to take on the Ironman course as a para-athlete. She’s no stranger to competition, but this race is new to her.
“There’s only four other females who’ve ever done it before me. It’s quite tricky as a para-athlete. The cutoff times are pretty tough for us,” she said.
She’s hoping to cross the finish line and become the fifth woman to complete an Ironman as a wheelchair user.
“When you go through a life-changing accident and people tell you that your life is going to be limited and you won’t be able to do things, it’s actually really important to me as well to prove to people that you can. And your life doesn’t have to be different. So, I think it will be pretty emotional, at the end,” she said.
Her husband is competing alongside her. They just got married a few weeks ago and chose Ironman California as their honeymoon. After the race, they will spend a few weeks exploring California.
Danson is also raising money for Wings for Life, a charity that funds spinal cord injury research. You can donate here.
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