Danielle Aitchison | Sport

I am a 17-year-old girl, who has moderate cerebral palsy and is deaf in both ears and wears cochlear implants. I grew up on a farm in the Hauraki District with my 4 siblings. I attended Kaihere School and Hauraki Plains College. I moved to Hamilton last October to attend the University of Waikato and to be closer to training. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Social Sciences majoring in Education and Society at the University of Waiakto. My dream career is to become an early childhood teacher. I love children and find them easy to understand by reading their body language, which my hearing impairment does not hinder. I would also like to make a difference in the lives of young New Zealanders by setting them up for successful development. In terms of sport, I have never allowed my disabilities to hinder me. I have participated in able-bodied sports alongside my peers and achieved a majority of high school achievements with excellence. My sporting dream is to place in athletics at a Paralympics in the next 10 years. I have only been competing in athletics for a little over 2 years and have already achieved so much. I am a strong, determined, passionate and focused individual with a strong drive to achieve my aspirations. In my spare time, when I am not studying or training, I enjoy spending time with my siblings, reading, doing arts and crafts, and going to the beach.