Danielle Cummings, a local athlete, has transformed her resilience into a journey toward building a legendary legacy.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Danielle Cummings, a local athlete, has transformed her resilience into a journey toward building a legendary legacy.
Cummings has been active in Albuquerque’s Foothills since childhood. Her family’s outdoor lifestyle shaped her passion for sports.
“My family’s very outdoorsy, so we were biking, running, skiing, doing all the things growing up,” she said.
The competitive spirit fueled her, but she faced self-doubt during races.
“Every race there comes a point where you’re put kind of face-to-face with your self-doubt, almost. And our minds, I think, can be our greatest limiters,” she said.
In 2017, during indoor rock climbing, she fell 20 feet, shattering her left ankle.
“Got distracted, forgot to clip in, and got to the top of the wall, pushed off, and fell 20 feet,” she said.
Life-changing decision
As a pre-med student and athlete, Cummings knew the injury would change her life.
“That one year post-op mark, the pain just started to get really bad in my ankle,” she said. She endured pain for six and a half years, even through her first year at the University of New Mexico as a med student.
The pain forced her to give up biking and skiing.
“I think I was 25 at the time. I was like, ‘How am I supposed to live to 70 now in this much pain?’” she said.
In July 2023, she chose amputation, which brought relief.
“The relief that I felt, and just, it’s like bringing me to tears thinking about it,” she said.
Cummings advocated for a state law mandating insurance coverage for prosthetics. It went into effect six months after her amputation.
“The crazy thing is, is I ultimately ended up being the first New Mexican to receive an active leg under that legislation,” she said.
Rising to the challenge
With her new prosthetic, Cummings resumed swimming, biking, and running. Her friend encouraged her to submit her race times to USA Triathlon.
“Your times are already meeting our international time standards, they’re very competitive already,” she said.
Cummings won nationals in 2024 and began competing internationally, earning a silver medal at the 2025 World Championships in Australia.
“Holy moly, like I did that? It’s really, really cool,” she said. She is currently ranked seventh in the world and aims for Paralympic contention in 2028.
“There’s always going to be doubters. There’s always going to be people telling you that you can’t do it. But ultimately, you get to decide what you are and aren’t capable of,” she said.
Cummings continues to learn and grow, one step at a time.
