Catching Up With Danelle Ballengee

While browsing the Primal Quest website earlier, I came across a recent article on Danelle Ballengee, a recent addition to the PQ staff, who brings a wealth of experience as one of the top adventure racers in the World.

Many of you probably already know Danelle’s story. Last Fall, while training for an event in Moab, she slipped on the ice and plunged more than sixty feet over a ledge, severely injuring herself. She lay out in the wilderness for nearly 3 days until her trusty dog Taz went and found help.

Since then, she’s been slowly rehabilitating from her injuries, which included a breaking her pelvis in four places. There were some estimates that she may not walk, let alone run, again for six months to a year, but being an amazing endurance athlete can pay off, and she’s already competed in several events this year.

As incredible as her come back has been, Danelle has said that she didn’t think she would be ready for a race as grueling as PQ by the time the event kicks off next year, so Don Mann, the CEO of Primal Quest, asked her to join the staff and contribute some of her vast experience and knowledge to the course design and race format.

So what’s Danelle been up to lately? Besides continuing the rehab process, she and her boyfriend recently purchased a restaurant in Moab (Milt’s Diner) where she flips burgers and makes milkshakes. For now, she is content with that, but knowing what an incredible athlete she is, and how much the competitive fires bur, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her back on the adventure racing circuit in the not too distant future. After all, we are talking about a woman who has won Primal Quest, three times no less, not to mention dozens of other endurance events.

So, if you’re in Moab, drop by the Diner and say hello and order up a chocolate shake. But you better do it quickly, because once she gets rolling again, not many of us can keep up with Danelle.

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Kraig Becker

Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.