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Archer, double Paralympic gold medallist and five times World Champion
Danielle was World Number 1 for her entire career. She also achieved something which is achieved exceptionally rarely – she successfully transitioned from the paralympic team to the able-bodied team.
A natural communicator, Danielle is articulate, approachable, open, honest, friendly and with a genuine wish to share her experience and to help others.
Refreshingly, in an age of so-called “celebrity”, she is not a “prima donna”. She simply works hard, with focus, to ensure the success of events at which she is invited to speak.
Danielle wanted to discover what it took to be the best in the world. She got there, because she always believed she would.
Danielle’s first book “The Boy Over The Road” was very successful and went straight to re-print. Her second book “Be Your Best Self – Life Skills for Unstoppable Kids” was published in 2019 and shortlisted for the Telegraph’s “Sports Book of the Year 2020”.
Her new book “Run Like A Girl” (for children aged 7-12) is published on 07 July 2021. “All over the world, female athletes are breaking barriers, pushing limits and achieving amazing things. Where did their journeys begin? What challenges did they have to overcome to get where they are today? This book is a collection of fascinating biographical stories by 50 highly successful sportswomen, from boxing superstar Nicola Adams to record-breaking yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur and fearless mountain biker Rachel Atherton. With an insight into their influences, motivations and achievements, each story reminds us that failing can teach us just as much as winning; success isn’t limited to the sports field and ‘running like a girl’ can lead you all the way to the top.”
Born in Yorkshire in 1988, she shared her parents’ passion for the outdoors and her childhood was filled with sporting activities. But this crashed to a halt as a teenager when she had constant, chronic pain in her feet. Finally diagnosed as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), it affected all areas of her life. Determined that this life-changing setback would not beat her, she looked for a sport that she could do. She took up archery for her fifteenth birthday and began her very rapid rise to Paralympic glory, which would see her dominate her sport for over seven years. At the same time, fitted in with her training, she studied for a Degree in Law, graduating with First Class Honours.
Winning gold in Beijing was an incredible experience. Hungry for more, she relocated to the Archery Performance Centre at Lilleshall, to train full time. Always striving to improve, she achieved something exceptionally rare: she was selected for the able-bodied team.
In 2010, she became the first disabled athlete to represent England in an able-bodied discipline and won the gold medal in the team event.
London 2012 was her target. Danielle worked incredibly hard, determined to retain her Paralympic title on home soil. The proudest moment of her life was receiving her gold medal in front of the home crowd at London. The support of the entire country was overwhelming. But, on a personal note, it was also the first time that her family and friends had seen her compete internationally, which made standing on the podium a truly special moment.
Danielle was fully committed to making the team for Rio and trying for her third gold medal. But life has a way of throwing setbacks at us when we least expect it. In 2013, the rules of competition were changed. Danielle was told that she did not classify under the new rules and could no longer compete at Paralympic events.
Danielle had started archery because she was fed up with all the limitations imposed on her life. Archery had helped a disillusioned teenager come to terms with having a disability. But in one moment, for reasons completely outside her control, everything she had worked so hard for was gone. Simply because she didn’t “tick a box”.
Never a person to stand still, Danielle is always working on new projects and challenges. She is determined to be as much of a success in all of those things, as in her sport. She helps other people to achieve their ambitions and goals through motivational speaking, sport psychology sessions and working with the education and business sectors to minimise the impact of nerves and stress.