“Life as I Knew It Was Over”: Love for Horses Makes Woman With Loss of Motor Function to Take On Unique Challenge

When an athlete suffers a physical injury, it may be devastating to their confidence, since some injuries are permanent and prevent them from ever competing again. Loss of motor function, or paralysis, may affect any part of the body. Several things may trigger it, and some of those things are rather significant. The length of time it lasts depends on the underlying issue. An equestrian who suffered the same fate, recently demonstrated the limitless potential for those like her.

Faye O’Hara spoke with Horse & Hound about the injury that changed her life and how she has managed to keep doing what she loves—riding and competing on horses.

The horrifying incident that changed her life

At the age of 15, Faye O’Hara was flung from a vehicle during an accident, severing nerves in her right arm and breaking her ribs, pelvis, femur, and collarbone. In addition, she cut her spinal cord at the T6/T7 level. O’Hara has no recollection of what happened immediately after the collision except for the sight of blue lights and the sound of emergency personnel communicating through walkie-talkies. Three weeks after the accident, she recalls waking up in the hospital. O’Hara’s new life began as a wheelchair user with just the use of her left arm after she spent three months in critical care, eight months in the hospital and rehabilitation in total, undergoing many procedures. This was not what O’Hara had dreamed of.

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As reported by Horse & Hound, O’Hara said, “Life as I knew it was over. It was a horrific time. For the first four months, I was so poorly and delusional – I was on ketamine and morphine – that I didn’t really process what the hell was happening.” Talking about the pain and watching her life unfold, she said, “I was in so much pain; it was like it wasn’t my life. But when I got to the spinal rehabilitation unit, and saw lots of people in wheelchairs, I realised what life was about. I needed helping in and out of bed. When I got home, I realised ‘This is my life now and it won’t get better’.”

For the love of the equestrian sports

Faye O’Hara was devastated by the realization that she would never be able to play the sport she loved. She went so far as to say that she completely shut off the equestrian world thereafter. After a few years away from the sport, O’Hara realized how much she missed that side of herself. She also participated in a mounted session with the Riding for the Disabled Organization, but she just felt frustrated.

With time and the support of her friends, however, O’Hara was able to fully return to the sport she had always loved. Even though she rode horses on the side, she first began competing four years ago, in November. She had already formed an unbreakable attachment with a horse she called Majestic. The voyage was arduous for Majestric and O’Hara; at one point, she fell off and fractured both of her legs; nonetheless, she recovered and became even stronger. O’Hara credits her newfound mental fortitude to the close relationship she built with her horse, which has led to her active participation in equestrian competitions. She also aims to become a motivational speaker and get sponsorship.

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Faye O’Hara is a warrior who proved to the world that nothing is impossible with enough willpower, and a supportive group of friends.