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BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
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A true story of GROWING UP WITH A RARE DISEASE, a deadly prognosis, and horses.
An exclusive sneak peek from the new book, Beyond Expectations, the story of Sydney Collier, a dressage paralympian who continues to defy norms and a life-threatening condition to pursue her dreams of riding at the very top of our sport.
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was told at eight years old I wasn’t supposed to be alive. It sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth. At that age, the ramifications of that one doctor’s appointment were unfathomable. It focused me on “more important things,” like playing with my friends and riding horses. It irrevocably changed the lives of every member of my family. I was “built differently,” and in the end, that would mean my life, more than others, had a time limit. Thanksgiving 1997 brought something new for my family to be thankful for...me! My mother had invited everyone to dinner—her parents, my dad’s parents, my uncles. She was so excited to host. Then her water broke, and she ended up in the hospital for the entire holiday. The first few hours of labor were peaceful, apparently. My father is a psychologist, and he’d had Mom take birth hypnosis classes in preparation for my delivery. She doesn’t remember the first five hours to this day. It was only when a nurse questioned her and told her hypnosis didn’t work that she started feeling the contractions, which, of course, made her just a little upset! It’s funny
This excerpt from Beyond Expectations, by Sydney Collier and Heather Wallace, was published with permission from Trafalgar Square Books.
how instilling a sliver of doubt can unravel months of hard work and preparation. I wasn’t ready to come out. After twenty-eight hours of labor, my mom needed a C-section. I’ve been a pain in her butt ever since. But my mom loves to say that everyone remarked on my beautiful blue eyes from the moment I was born. Ironically, they turned out to be what led to my diagnosis years later. My childhood was typical in the best of ways. I could even say it was picture perfect. My family lived in the suburbs of Illinois where I was surrounded by kids my age, as my mom and the other women in the neighborhood had all had babies around the same time. I got a lot of attention, especially since I was my parents’ first child, and after my two brothers were born, the only girl. I went to school and had playdates with friends. I vividly remember celebrating warm summer days, running through sprinklers. My younger brothers and I did all the things that children do: joking, fighting, and making core memories. My mom was a superwoman, balancing our schedules and seemingly never intimidated by having three children, plus all our pets! She gave us everything we needed to thrive. When I think back to those early days of my childhood, I can still feel the sunshine on my skin as I ran with my brothers, laughing wildly at some antic or another. Life was good. I found my passion early in life. I was utterly obsessed with four-legged animals. “Rideable” Continued on page 29
26 | EQ UE S T R I A N L I V IN G | MAY / J U N E | 2024