WHITE Amelia

Classification
GRADE V (FEI, 19 Aug 2021)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (awequestrian.com, 24 Mar 2020; fei.org, 10 Apr 2021)

Impairment Details
In 2010 she was involved in a car accident which caused permanent injuries to her legs, upper body and spine. "Just before I was around the corner, I could see the front of a car closing in on me. My eyes focused in on the front grill of the car speeding towards me. There was this split second when I realised this oncoming car was completely on my side of the road. And that was it. I had nowhere to go. I was really calm at first. I remember saying to the driver and the nurse who had stopped to help me, 'You have to find my phone. I need to call my mum and dad and tell them I'm going to be late getting home'. It's really quite funny where your mind goes. I was concerned that I would be late for dinner. It was late in the evening when they got me to the ER, and the doctors warned us that [left leg] amputation was a very real possibility. I absolutely begged them, 'Please don't. I have my riding, you have to save it.'" (awequestrian.com, 24 Mar 2020; fei.org, 10 Apr 2021; noellefloyd.com, 23 Jan 2020)

General
MOVING TO GERMANY
Shortly after taking up Para equestrian dressage she moved from her home in Australia to Germany in the aim of improving herself as a rider. "I have a very close connection to Germany. My grandparents immigrated to Australia, and it took them a long time to learn English. Because of this, I grew up with a heavy German influence. I officially moved at the end of 2015. The idea behind it was to really learn the ins-and-outs of professional dressage, and maybe do a show or two to gain experience and improve my riding confidence. It was a huge shock. I thought I was a reasonable rider, but I look back now and realise that it was totally different. All of a sudden I was having to learn to sit the trot on these purpose-bred dressage horses with a totally different way of going [than my former event horses]. I had no core muscles and no strength and I was exhausted. I would come home from training and sleep on the lounge, I was so tired. I met European Para riders for the first time and realised how much of a professional sport it actually is and how much these people train. And I realised very quickly if I wanted to be serious about it, we really had to step up - not just the training, but I had to step up my own management. I equate myself to a horse with injuries, and we manage horses so well, and I never managed myself, I was so naive. I saw these other Para riders and how much time they commit to the sport and the profession and what they do to manage themselves. It was mind boggling. I realised that I was nowhere near where I needed to be if I wanted to be serious about it." (noellefloyd.com, 23 Jan 2020)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied for a master's degree in law at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW, Australia. She has also studied for a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia. (awequestrian.com, 24 Mar 2020; Athlete, 28 Aug 2021)