KYLIE CHRISTIAN
PARA DRESSAGE RIDER
Meet Kylie
Kylie Christian is an elite para dressage rider from Australia - and one of an estimated 10 million people living with Parkinson's Disease worldwide.
Whether she is training to ride in international competitions for Australia, promoting the sport of para dressage, or speaking out in support of research to find better treatments and a cure for Parkinson's, she passionate about what she does.
Kylie been an equestrian since she was eight years old. After being diagnosed with Parkinson's in the summer of 2021, she refocused her riding on para dressage. Since then, Kylie has been named on the Generation Next High Performance Australian Institute of Sport Squad for 2022, which recognizes developing and emerging riders. She also achieved an FEI Para Dressage Grade IV World Ranking of 21, and has been long listed by Paralympics Australia for Paris 2024.
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Join Kylie on her journey.​
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PARA AND PARKINSON'S
Riding with Parkinson's can be difficult, but can also breathe new life into the daily activities of someone living with a progressive disability. And for someone like Kylie for whom riding has been a lifelong passion, finding a way to continue riding despite her diagnosis has been a tremendous spirit booster. Since her diagnosis, Kylie has had to work to adapt many aspects of her riding, from rein-holding to keeping her stirrups to maintaining her balance, to meet the challenges Parkinson’s presents.
One of the physical challenges to Kylie’s riding, and the one for which she currently utilizes a compensatory aid, is that her feet curl up on her left side, causing her to constantly lose her stirrup. To mitigate this, she uses bands that go around her foot, under the stirrup, and over her toes to keep her feet in place.
Kylie also has a slowness and weakness of the left side, so she holds her whip in her left hand to replace the lack of leg. Para riders are allowed two whips, but Kylie finds one challenging enough. She rides in a double bridle, and finds it difficult to collect and keep rein length due to the decrease in motor skills and finger coordination.
The rigidness in Kylie's body causes her to look extremely stiff while riding, and movements using the left rein are never as neat or correct as the right because of the left side weakness.
Contact Kylie
Kylie is passionate about spreading the word about Para Dressage and about living with a disability. She is available for speaking engagements or to help you promote your business.
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Please reach out and learn more!