HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A Hillsborough County athlete is competing at some of the highest levels in her sport of track and field.

She’ll be representing Team USA in a world competition at the end of November 2022.

Most competitive athletes live and breathe the sport they play. That’s what you get when you meet Danielle Kanas. “I’ve been throwing for about, almost nine years now,” she said.

What makes her unique, aside from her skill with a javelin, is that she’s been throwing it and participating in other events with just one arm.

“I kind of never thought that this was going to be possible,” Kanas said. Because it’s something she’s had to deal with essentially her whole life.

She was found at a Chinese train station as a baby. After being taken to an orphanage there, they found an infection on her left arm. The best way to keep her alive was to amputate it.

Growing up here in the U.S., it’s all she’s known. At times, she thought it would be a hinderance.

“I do remember the times when I was little and I felt like maybe I couldn’t do some of the stuff the other kids do,” Kanas said. But when she was eight years old, she met a coach with Hillsborough County who had coached and trained students with physical disabilities for decades.

It was then she picked up a jav and learned about a group of people that would change her life forever.

“I’ve learned that it does not stop me, and I shouldn’t let it,” Kanas said.

For the next nine years she’s honed her skills with javelin, shotput, discus and long jump.

In just a few weeks’ time, she’s going to be taking some of those skills to Portugal to be one of 30 athletes selected to represent Team USA in the international wheelchair and amputee sports world games.

“It feels amazing, and I’m both nervous and excited,” Kanas said.

She was originally supposed to compete in the world games in Thailand in April of 2020, but that didn’t happen because of the pandemic.

So, to get another shot is something she’s waited two long years for.

“I’m super happy about how I’m going to be able to go and it wasn’t completely canceled,” Kanas said.

That’s why coaches like Mary Cales come out to practice with Kanas in the hot, humid sun because she sees her determination, drive and talent.

“She’s a hard worker,” Cales said, “dedicated to what she does and, I mean, look at her right now, she’s out here practicing a couple times a week.”

She helps coach hundreds of athletes with Hillsborough County Adaptive Sports and knows just how special Kanas is.

“Dani is definitely one of our top athletes, one of our most competitive athletes so it’s really cool to be able to coach her at that level,” Cales said.

And truly inspiring to see her compete on the world stage representing the U.S. at the end of this month.

“I’m really happy that I get to continue on in this sport,” Kanas said.

Something she lives and breathes with every throw she makes. The world games will be taking place November 23 through 29. On top of competing there, she will compete for Steinbrenner High School her senior year and has already received attention from division one universities about taking her track and field talents to the next level.