Destination Tokyo
With eight Paralympic gold medals, and five world titles to her name, Sophie Christiansen is one of the biggest success stories in Paralympic history. H&R takes a look at her incredible journey to the top
Paralympian Sophie
Christiansen with carer Georgie Poulter (left) and trainer Anna
Miller (right)
Photos: Lucy Merrell, Jon Stroud
EXCLUSIVE
Horse AND Rider Magazine interview
Sophie’s entry into the world of riding was different from most young girls. She hadn’t dreamt of riding unicorns, nor did she have a horsey parent who sat her in the saddle in the first few weeks of her life. Instead, she was introduced to it by her physio. Born with cerebral palsy (a complex, lifelong condition affecting a person’s ability to control their movement), Sophie went to a primary school with a special unit for disabled pupils. Luckily for Sophie, the school had physios who saw the physical benefits of horse riding for children with disabilities. At the age of six, when she first rode at the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) centre in Winkfield, Sophie loved it – and she hasn’t looked back since.
A step into the unknown
“Riding was so much more fun than physio and it made me feel normal,” Sophie says, recalling some of her earliest equestrian experiences – riding can have both physical and mental benefits for people with disabilities, and Sophie values her time with the RDA very highly. “I honestly think that without them I wouldn’t have ever sat on a horse. Even if I was ablebodied – my parents aren’t really interested, and my mum’s allergic to horses, so I often tell her that I stuck with it just to annoy her!”