F E AT U R E
Ready or Nott
Admiring the view after a three hour ride up to the Hollywood sign in LA (Image courtesy of Chris Nott).
Some people give of themselves more than others, and as CHRISTINE ARMISHAW discovered, Special Olympics National Equestrian Coordinator Chris Nott has turned giving into her superpower.
T
o be in the volunteer role of National Equestrian Coordinator for the Special Olympics doesn’t require one to be a superhero, although that’s what the riders and supporters involved with Chris Nott think she is. And when you hear everything this amazing woman has put into orchestrating the Australian team, time and again, you wouldn’t be chastised for thinking she might be a version of Wonder Woman too! But to Chris, this all cropped up simply because it was just something she thought she might be able to help out with. Fifteen years later, the progress she’s made is astonishing.
of the highlights she’s experienced in
Australia was held in Melbourne in 2014.
her role. Before she even begins, she
Initially the first 10 to 12 participants came
forewarns me: “If I cry, I’m only crying
from Riding for the Disabled centres, with
because it’s such a good experience
a grand total of eight athletes travelling
and I’m reliving it!”
down to Victoria with Chris as part of the
The backstory
Queensland State Team.
The structure of the Special Olympics
The next major event was the 2015
is much like any other riding discipline,
World Summer Games in Los Angeles.
with certain qualifications required to
“Being Australia’s very first contribution
enter the next stage. Athletes aim to
to a World Games, we got an allocation
Chris is a warm, funny and genuine person. I ask her to tell me about some
The very first national Special Olympic
hear the emotion in her voice: “Oh, it
Games to feature equestrian events in
was such an amazing, amazing event,”
make each team at the stepping stones of regionals, states and then nationals, in the hopes of being selected for the World Team.
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of two athletes for LA. I was accepted as Head Coach, and we took a young man from South Australia and a middleaged lady from Western Australia,” Chris recalls. This memory gets her and I can
