World Championships week is finally here.
After months of training, racing, traveling, and preparing for this opportunity, I’ve arrived in Huntsville, Alabama, with Team USA and am ready to compete against the best H3 handcyclists in the world.
It’s exciting to finally be here, but arriving at Worlds also gives me a chance to look back at everything—and everyone—that helped get me to this point.
After earning my spot on the Team USA World Championship roster, the focus immediately shifted toward making sure I arrived in Huntsville in the best shape possible. One of the biggest pieces of that preparation was a three-week altitude training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Flagstaff gave me the opportunity to completely focus on training. We put together a demanding block that included long endurance sessions, race-specific intensity, recovery, and lactate testing. Training at elevation added another challenge, but that was part of the purpose. The goal was to build the fitness and durability I’ll need when the racing gets difficult at Worlds.
Those three weeks were hard, but they were also some of the most important training of my season.
Once the altitude camp was finished, the focus changed. The fitness was built. The work was in the bank. From there, it became about sharpening, recovering, and trusting the process so that I could arrive in Huntsville fresh and ready to race.
More Than an Individual Journey
Handcycling may look like an individual sport when you’re sitting on the starting line, but getting to that starting line is anything but individual.
There are so many people behind me who have helped make this opportunity possible.
Team PossAbilities has continued to believe in me and support my racing year after year. Competing internationally and pursuing goals like a World Championship requires an incredible amount of commitment, travel, training, equipment, and resources. Having an organization like Team PossAbilities behind me has allowed me to continue chasing bigger goals and seeing how far I can take this sport.
I’m incredibly grateful for that continued support and proud to represent Team PossAbilities while also wearing the Team USA colors here in Huntsville.
My coach, Ralf Lindschulten, has also played a huge role in getting me here. There are countless hours of planning and communication behind every training block. The hard sessions, recovery days, altitude camp, testing, race preparation, and taper all have a purpose. Having someone I trust guiding that process allows me to show up each day, do the work, and know that we’re building toward something.
Then there is my family
They experience this journey in a completely different way than I do. They’re there for the early mornings, the long training days, the travel, the time away from home, the good races, and the disappointing ones. Pursuing a sport at this level requires sacrifices that extend far beyond the athlete.
My family continues to give me the time, encouragement, and support to chase something that means so much to me. I don’t take that for granted.
When I line up at World Championships, I’m the one sitting in the handcycle—but there is an entire group of people who helped put me on that starting line.
Now It’s Time to Race
Now, after all the preparation, I’m here in Huntsville with Team USA.
There’s something difficult to describe about representing your country at a World Championship. You spend months thinking about this moment, but when you finally arrive and put on the USA colors, it becomes real.
I know the level of competition will be extremely high. That’s what a World Championship is supposed to be. These are the races I train for and the opportunities I want.
I feel fit. I feel prepared. Most importantly, I know I’ve done everything I could to give myself the best opportunity to perform.
There isn’t any more fitness to build this week. There aren’t any more big training blocks to complete. Now it’s about trusting the work, trusting my preparation, executing my race plan, and seeing what I can do against the best in the world.
Whatever happens on race day, getting here is something I’m extremely proud of—but I’m not coming to Huntsville just to participate.
I’m coming here to race.
Thank you to Team PossAbilities, my coach Ralf Lindschulten, my family, my teammates, and everyone who has continued to support me throughout this journey. None of these opportunities happen without the people and organizations who continue to believe in me and give me the ability to pursue these goals.
The months of preparation are over.
The work is done.
I’m in Huntsville with Team USA.Now it’s time to race.
🇺🇸Owen Daniels
Team USA |Men’s H3 2026
UCI Para-cycling World Championships — Huntsville, Alabama
