ASF Race Team member Staci Mannella spent the 2010-2011 season training and competing in local, regional, and national adaptive races. Staci, a 15-year-old skier, was born with a rare eye disease called achromatopsia. She began skiing at the Adaptive Sports Foundation at the age of four and joined the race team when she was 11.

MT. Hood June 24th, 7:30AM … 4 runs in to Staci and Kim’s morning.

This past winter, Staci and her guide, ASF Operations Director Kim Seevers, competed in the North American Cup Series. At Copper Mountain, CO, she won silver medals in the junior giant slalom and Women’s Open Visually Impaired (VI) slalom; and at Park City, UT , Staci won gold in the Women’s Open Visually Impaired giant slalom and Women’s Open Visually Impaired slalom. In March, Staci and Kim competed in the US Adaptive Alpine National Championships in Alyeska, Alaska where Staci raced in her first speed events. Staci won gold in the Junior Women’s Downhill and Junior Women’s Slalom and took second place in the Junior Women’s giant slalom.

Staci, along with ASF racer and paralympian Caitie Sarubbi, was recently named to the US Adaptive Ski Team and is training with the team at Mt. Hood this month.