It has taken plenty of self-perseverance and even a little backyard handiwork for Danielle Kisser to realize her Paralympic dream.
The 24-year-old swimmer from North Delta leaves today (Aug. 19) for Tokyo following a journey that has featured plenty of twists and turns and wasn’t finalized until late last month.
Born with achondroplasia, Kisser evolved into a national team prospect as a member of the Sungod Swimming Club and represented her country at the 2011 Parapan Am Games when she was just 14.
An opportunity to compete at the Paralympic Games in Rio took a significant hit when she underwent a double-leg osteotomy in the fall of 2014. The surgery involved her tibia and fibula bones being broken, screws installed, and her ankles rotated to realign with her knees. She was in a wheelchair for three months.
Four years later, she had worked her way all the way back to a world-class level, winning medals at the 2018 Pan Pacific Para Championships. Kisser’s progress included moving to Montreal to train at the Paralympic High Performance Centre, under coach Mike Thompson, and studying at Concordia University where she is working towards a degree in linguistics. However, her spot in Tokyo was hardly a certainty given the depth of Canada’s national program and the unexpected postponement of the Games in 2020 due to COVID-19.
With no competitive events due to the pandemic, it came down to individual simulated races for the last couple of Paralympic spots. Kisser ended up third and thought she had agonizingly missed out until an injury to her teammate put her in Canadian colours.
“My athletic journey definitely doesn’t look glamorous on paper but I think there are very specific things and lessons that you learn, amid the difficulties and trials, and I think I have definitely learned a lot through the different setbacks I have had,” said the breaststroke specialist. “It has set me up well to finally be going to the Paralympic Games. It’s something I have wanted for over 13 years.”
Kisser credits her family for keeping her spirits up along way and also the roots she has established back east since arriving in Montreal five years earlier.
“My family has given massive support,” she continued. “From when I was born they have always told me my life has a purpose and I am here for a reason. They never let my disability get in the way and they always let me try things. My friends have always been great too, as well as the support system in Montreal and my personal faith.
“If I didn’t have all those things that have been supporting me I generally don’t know how I would still be going. I just know this is what I am supposed to be doing and fortunately it has fallen in my favour.”
Kisser’s drive to be a Paralympian came to a standstill in the spring of 2020 when COVID halted national team training and she returned to Delta. It was after a session with her psychologist when she came up with a “project” to keep herself busy.
After searching through do-it-yourself videos on YouTube, she decided to build her own backyard pool made out of pallets that would be big enough for her to train in thanks to a tether that kept her stationary. She documented the project on her own YouTube channel and it garnered international attention, earning her “People’s Choice Award” for the Most Viral Moment of the Year at the 2020 Canadian Sports Awards.
“It came out of lot of disappointment and uncertainty. When COVID hit, the Paralympics got postponed, trials got cancelled and all my teammates went back home. We didn’t know what was going on,” said Kisser. “I decided to build it myself and not tell anymore. I even asked my dad how to use a drill. The fact it actually worked and I even could touch the bottom which I normally can’t do.”
Regardless what happens in Tokyo, Kisser already has her eye on the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
“Due to lot of injuries, I feel like I have missed out on quite bit,” she added. “I feel like I have even more speed and strength in me. I’m not done yet and not satisfied where I am yet. I’m looking forward to the next three years.”
