Eight-time Paralympic gold medallist Sophie Christiansen has called time on her competitive career.
Sophie, who has cerebral palsy, enjoyed a glittering para dressage career which included winning 24 European, World and Paralympic gold medals for Great Britain.
“After a 20-year competitive career, I have decided to retire from para dressage. I was once told, “when you know, you know”. I used to wonder what this meant, but now I realise that I am more excited about the possibilities of what I could do outside of the sport than doing another 4-year cycle of highs and lows as an athlete,” said Sophie in a post on her Facebook page.
The 36-year-old won an individual bronze medal on her Paralympic debut in Athens in 2004 when she was aged just 16 aboard Hotstuff. At the time, she was the youngest member of the GB team.
Clean sweep
She went on to contest the next three Paralympic Games – at Beijing, London and Rio – winning three gold medals on home turf in London and again in Rio four years later.
“To achieve my first clean sweep of gold medals at a home Games, London 2012, was beyond my wildest dreams. Having my brother and cousins start a chant of “we love you, Sophie!” by 10,000 spectators was just insane,” said Sophie.
“The memories still give me goosebumps! It was here that my double life as a Paralympic gold medallist with a career gave me a platform to highlight the barriers that disabled people face in society. I hope that in some way I can make a difference and create a more equitable world.”
Sophie, who comes from a non-horsey family, started riding with the RDA when she was six years old.
“People began seeing my potential as a teenager and suggested that I started para dressage at South Bucks RDA. I have always been competitive, so being able to find a sport that I could excel at was a complete game changer,” continued Sophie.
Future plans
As well as being a highly successful rider, Sophie also has a master’s degree in mathematics and works as a software developer for Goldman Sachs.
“Para dressage has given me so much and sport has empowered me to redefine what I thought was possible and to keep breaking barriers in all areas of my life,” she added.
“I want to work alongside the RDA, British Dressage and British Equestrian continue introducing people to the world of para dressage so that when another ‘me’ comes along, they can also achieve their dreams. You won’t get rid of me that easily!”
