Twenty-four years ago, Dame Catriona Williams’ life changed completely. Back then, she was one of New Zealand’s leading equestrians, heading for the Olympics.
But when the horse she was riding at an event in the Waikato cartwheeled over a jump, Catriona fell and broke her neck. Since then, she has been confined to a wheelchair.
While it might have taken her mobility, the accident hasn’t robbed Catriona of her spirit and determination.
“I’m a glass half full person,” she says. “I tend to forget most of the negative stuff because you’ve got to focus on the positive. It wasn’t easy initially because I was newly married and we had hopes and dreams. I struggled and kept saying, ‘Why me?’ But the reality is why not you? And no one wants to hang out with the miserable person in the corner of the room, so don’t be that person!”
The Catwalk Trust
Once she was recovered enough, Catriona directed her energy and sheer grit towards helping to find a cure for paralysis. Since founding the Catwalk Trust in 2005, she and her team have raised $28 million for research into spinal cord injury. An early coup was getting royal Zara Tindall on board as a patron thanks to the help of fellow equestrian Sir Mark Todd.
“Sometimes things just fall into place,” smiles Catriona. “It was Zara’s first patronage role, the connection with horses was right for her and I guess she has a good relationship with Mark.
“She’s an amazing person – just a really great human. We’re incredibly proud to have her on our team.”
An epic adventure
Now Catriona, 55, is preparing for an epic challenge of her own. On December 30, she will begin handcycling from California all the way to Florida. The coast-to-coast adventure, christened Team Connect USA, will take three months, and cover nine states and more than 4000 kilometres. The aim is to raise funds, awareness and connections to help solve spinal cord injury.
When Catriona told husband Sam what she was planning, he went quiet.
“I think it took a couple of nights before he realised I was serious,” she laughs.
However, Sam knows from experience that there is no stopping his wife, who has already handcycled the New York Marathon and up to Everest Base Camp. He has learned that when told she can’t do something, it only makes Catriona more determined.
“I always say the single most important decision in your life is who you decide to spend the rest of your life with,” she says. “I’ve been pretty lucky with Sam, but I also think he’s been pretty lucky too – it takes two! There’s a lot of giving on both sides.”
When she first tried handcycling, she could barely get to the end of their 800-metre driveway, but Catriona has worked incredibly hard to become fitter since then.
“I’m probably as strong as I’ve ever been,” she shares. “I’ve got a really great trainer at the gym, I swim two or three times a week and I’ve got a functional electrical stimulation bike which helps me cycle.”
Keeping her body healthy
That work has brought another milestone.
“One of the things I’m proud of is that I’ve worked so hard over the past seven years, I can now stand in a frame and move my legs. The next step is getting my knees to lock. “My full-time job is keeping my body healthy.
If I do that, I can have more fun times and keep up with my able-bodied friends and family. And the stronger I am physically, the better I am mentally.”
Looking to the future
For most of the Team Connect USA trip, Sam will be home in New Zealand, busy running their business, the Little Avondale Stud, breeding thoroughbred horses for the racing industry.
“I’m proud of what Sam has done with Little Avondale,” says Catriona, who may not ride any more but is still happy to be close to horses on their 80-hectare property in south Wairarapa. “There’s something about horses. Just touching and smelling them is pretty special. I’ll be honest, I used to ride horses because people drove me nuts, but now people are my world, and I love being around them when they’re making the most of their life and opportunities.”
Catriona’s daily routine isn’t easy. She needs carers to get her up and dressed each day, and as grateful as she is for the help, she is focused on winning more independence for herself and fellow wheelies.
“When I was riding horses, my goal was to go to the Olympics and it was all about me,” she says. “Now it’s about something much bigger – changing the life of anyone who breaks their neck or back for the better. If we can do that for even one person, it will have been worth it.”
For info on Team Connect USA and to donate, go to teamconnectusa.org
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