Staci Mannella
Staci Mannella was the youngest person on the United States Paralympic Alpine Skiing Team during the 2014 Sochi Games. Staci was born with achromatopsia, which is a genetic eye condition. It causes extreme light sensitivity, poor visual acuity, and partial color blindness. Despite the fact that Stephanie cannot see well, that doesn’t stop her from being an extremely fast skier, which is an almost unbelievable feat. Although visually impaired skiers do use a guide, she is considered one of the best and youngest visually impaired skiers in the world. Staci got her start rather young and began competing on the racing ski circuit as a teenager. She has won multiple national championship titles, a world cup gold medal and a bronze at Sochi. She hopes to continue striving towards excellence at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
