When Kylie Christian was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease two years ago, her sights were firmly set on competing in the Paralympic Games in Paris.
The Victorian mother-of-three hopes by sharing her story, she can demonstrate athletes don’t need to have an “overt” disability to compete.
”You know, every little girl that rides horses has a dream to go to the Olympics and yeah, my dream’s now my goal,” she told 9News.
At 45, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease – a disorder of the nervous system.
Her diagnosis was the catalyst to pursue a lifelong ambition: to represent Australia in “para-equestrian”, the dressage events at the next Paralympic Games.
Despite physical challenges, such as weakness and tremors, she has been long-listed for the 2024 Games in Paris, with the final team yet to be selected.
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“I was in the hospital and looked at (the neurologist) and I just said, ‘I’m going to ride para’,” Christian said.
She wants to change the perception of what being a Paralympic athlete means.
“When you hear the word Paralympic you think of people with lost limbs or in a wheelchair, et cetera, but that’s not the case for people like me.”
Christian is also an advocate for Shake It Up Australia, which raises funds in the search for a Parkinson’s cure.
“I just hope that one of those dollars makes all the difference,” she said.
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