Kate Delson, PLY

Snowboarding/Paralympian

Kate’s Story:

It was 2005 in sunny San Diego, with no snow in sight for hundreds of miles, Kate Delson was born. Her disability as unique as she is. Kate was born with a deficient right leg, lacking a working ankle joint, calf muscles and minimal glute and hamstring strength. The doctors were not confident that she’d be able to walk. While now Kate is a proficient walker with her signature gangster limp, the doctors were not all wrong. Her legs work most efficiently while strapped into a snowboard.

Kate was blessed to be born into a wonderful snowsport loving family. Since birth not one winter was missed going up to her grandparents cabin in Mammoth Lakes California. At the age of three Kate was taking her first ski lessons with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierras. Skiing was a blast but it was hard on her weak leg. That along with Kate’s older brother being a snowboarder she begged until finally at seven she began snowboarding. With her two legs working together on a board, something clicked and in little time she was off the bunny hills, Kate was shredding the entire mountain! The passion was lit.

In 2021 while Kate convinced her awesome dad to spend two weeks with her in Mammoth snowboarding. Within that time
Kate ended up joining the Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team and stayed in Mammoth till the snow melted. A persistent worker, Kate did not miss a day of training. Landing new tricks and learning to shred the mountain with proper technique. She moved to Mammoth on her own to finish high school, determined to chase her snowboard dreams. She trained hard and competed in local competitions. In 2023 she placed third at USASA nationals slope style against able bodied riders. Stomping a run she had spent the past 3 seasons training for.

Snowboarding is more than a sport for Kate. It is her passion. Her means of expressing herself, her freedom and now her career. After graduating high school racing was the only discipline in competitive para snowboarding. She decided to give it a shot. During her first season the 2023-2024 year, Kate won her first races qualifying herself into the World Cup Circuit. Where she came home with two world cup podiums. The next season Kate managed five more podiums including two wins and a
second place at the World Championships. Qualifying her for the U.S team.

She kept this streak going into the 2026 season where she won the overall globe in both Snowboardcross and Banked Slalom. And then topped the season off with two podiums at the Paralympic Games. Claiming the title of Paralympic Champion. Kate is just getting started with a fire like passion for all aspects of snowboarding.