Meet Katie Verderber
Army Veteran. Attorney. Paralympian. Trailblazer.
When Katie Verderber rolled onto the ice for the first time at the U.S. Curling Para ID Camp in Golden, Colorado, something clicked.
She didn’t have years of experience. She didn’t have a deep history with the sport. What she did have was instinct, discipline, and the kind of competitive drive you only find in seasoned soldiers and high-performing professionals.
Hyperformance Foundation first met Katie through our Expand Program in April 2024, where we sponsored veteran participation in the Para ID Camp. She was deliberate. Focused. Curious. And she absorbed the sport with the same intensity with which she had once studied law and served her country.
From the moment she released her first stone, Katie showed something rare:
natural promise paired with relentless work ethic.
Make it stand out
From Soldier to Attorney to Paralympian
Katie’s path hasn’t been linear — it’s been earned.
As a U.S. Army veteran, she carries the resilience and mental toughness that define the military community. As an attorney, she brings intellectual precision, pattern recognition, and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
And now, she’s added another line to her already remarkable résumé:
Named to Team USA for the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina.
It’s a trajectory built not on luck but on grit, strategy, and the willingness to bet on herself.
In Katie’s own words:
“If anything comes from this, I want to share the message that you can still achieve whatever dreams you may have despite illness or disability.”
Joining Hyperformance as a Sports Ambassador
After the ID camp, Katie’s potential was undeniable. Hyperformance invited her into our Sports Ambassador Program, where we provide targeted grants for training, travel, coaching, and international competition.
On her road to Milan-Cortina, those grants help fund training camps, bonspiels, sport-specific coaching, equipment, and travel needs.
How Athletes Like Katie Are Shaping the Future of Hyperformance
Katie’s rise has directly inspired Hyperformance Foundation’s deepening investment in the sport of wheelchair curling.
For the 2025 Invictus Games, wheelchair curling was introduced for the first time. To ensure Team US had every opportunity to perform, Hyperformance worked with US Curling, DoD, and Army TRADOC to provide training opportunities for Invictus Team US as well as coaching staff at the Games.
Athletes like Katie and the Invictus competitors don’t just succeed in the sport — they help shape the sport itself.
Innovation on the Ice — Virginia Tech & Hyperformance
What began as supporting a single athlete has now become a movement to expand accessibility within wheelchair curling.
To address some of the unique needs of competitors faced during Invictus, Hyperformance began working directly with a team of student engineers from Virginia Tech, developing new adaptive technologies and delivery mechanisms that will expand functional classifications
The goal? To open doors for athletes with:
Upper-limb impairments
Polytrauma
Limited grip strength
Reduced range of motion
Complex mobility challenges
We are helping build the future so that more athletes can find their place in this sport, compete at the highest level, and represent the United States on the world stage, just like Katie.
A Leader on the Ice, a Trailblazer for the Future
Katie Verderber is not just a Paralympian in the making — she’s a catalyst.
Her journey from Army service to attorney to Paralympic athlete embodies the intersection of discipline, intellect, and determination. And her success is helping drive Hyperformance Foundation’s next evolution: a world where adaptive sport doesn’t just accommodate athletes — it advances because of them.
Katie is carving a new line on the ice.
And she’s leaving a trail for countless future athletes to follow.
“It’s hard to believe I found out two years ago I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life to learning I’m going to be a Paralympian."
Your support helps make journeys like Katie’s possible.
Because of donors like you, veterans can find belonging, purpose, and the opportunity to thrive.
