Rachel Māia Climbs Toward Paralympic Dreams

Rachel Māia, a New Zealand paraclimber battling chronic pain and fear of heights, is chasing her dream of competing in the 2028 Paralympics — a sport making its Olympic debut. Amputated after 18 years of surgeries following a teen leg injury, she chose to prioritize her role as a mother to her three kids, one with a rare condition. Though her body still aches like an electric fence, climbing brings her joy and purpose. With no national funding for paraclimbing, she’s crowdfunding every dollar to travel to Japan and Korea for critical World Cup events — even paying for her coach. Her mission? Not just to qualify, but to make history for New Zealand and inspire others to rise through their own pain. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/335e60eddc568155