What is even more impressive than winning one gold medal in the Paralympics is winning six of them. Meet Sophie Christiansen, six-time Paralympic gold medalist, who believes “she wouldn’t be half the person she is if it weren’t for the fact that she was born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.”
“I’ve always been quite sporty,” says Sophie. While she has tried both football and hockey in the past, she has now found the sport of her choice: Equestrianism.
Horse riding was first introduced to Sophie as part of her physiotherapy, and it was also horse riding that developed her self-confidence.
“I think having a disability automatically makes everything challenging; there are more barriers,” Sophie shares, recalling growing up as a shy child. However, discovering a passion for dressage at 13 years old gradually helped Sophie break out of her shell.
And her talent matched her passion. Her coach, Clive Milkins, devoted himself to helping Sophie succeed. “He really thought ‘you know, this girl could be special’.” She also broke barriers within the equestrian circles, being one of the pioneers to be classified as a Grade 1 athlete in equestrian.
“At the time not many riders were in that category, because I think to put a severely disabled girl on a horse is quite a thing.”
And at just 16 years of age, her hard work and consistent encouragement from her coach propelled her to the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games. That experience reshaped her outlook about herself and heavily boosted her self-confidence. She became more outgoing and personable, making more friends and being comfortable with interviews.
“That whole experience really changed my life. Before, I was quite shy; especially my speech. But when I went to the Games I just saw all these amazing disabled people just getting on with their lives and almost joking about their conditions at the same time. I decided I wanted to be seen in that positive light as well.”
Sophie has since competed in three more Paralympic games, attained her master’s degree in Math, and balances being an analyst at Goldman Sachs and an athlete. She attributes her disability in part for allowing her to receive such opportunities: “I honestly think that without my disability and doing my sport I wouldn’t have got the job that I have now. It’s given me that opportunity to stand out from the crowd.”
She wishes for similar opportunities for others with disabilities. “I would love to see more coverage outside the four year Paralympics cycle,” Sophie shares. “We need to keep that level of disability in the public eye, because with coverage and sponsorship, there’s kind of a vicious cycle going on. If sports don’t get coverage, we don’t get sponsorship, and it’s harder to keep training.”
“I honestly believe that because I’m disabled I’m better at thinking outside the box. I’m more efficient, I work harder and I’m more dedicated because I’m disabled.”
Armed with this newfound confidence through sports, Sophie is more than ready to take on other challenges thrown at her. And hopefully, many will follow the trail she has blazed. After all, “the most important thing I’ve learned is that you can’t be afraid of going outside your comfort zone,” says Sophie.
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