Nicola Tustain (born 27 December 1977) is a retired Welsh Paralympic dressage rider. During her career, Tustain won multiple

para-dressage Para-equestrian is an equestrian sport governed by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), and includes two competitive events: One is para-equestrian dressage, which is conducted under the same basic rules as conventional dre ...

medals at the World Championships and

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

. She was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2010.

Early life and education

Tustain was born on 27 December 1977 in Corwen, Wales. She was born with

hemiplegia Hemiparesis, or unilateral paresis, is weakness of one entire side of the body ('' hemi-'' means "half"). Hemiplegia is, in its most severe form, complete paralysis of half of the body. Hemiparesis and hemiplegia can be caused by different medic ...

that paralyzed her right side. She began riding competitively when she was ten years old and participated in a Riding for the Disabled Association championship when she was twelve. Tustain joined the British equestrian team in 1993. In 1996, she completed a certificate in healthcare at Yale College, Wrexham.

Career

Tustain won her first para-dressage medals at the 1999 World Championships with three gold medals. While competing in the World Championships, Tustain won an additional three gold medals at the 2003 World Championships and a gold and a silver at the 2007 World Para Dressage Championships. Alternatively, Tustain won six Paralympic medals in dressage. At the

2000 Summer Paralympics The 2000 Summer Paralympic Games or the XI Summer Paralympics were held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, between 18 and 29 October. The Sydney Paralympics was last time that the Summer Paralympics which were organized by two different ...

, Tustain won a gold medal in the team and freestyle events with a bronze in the individual event. At the following Paralympics, she won a gold in the team event while winning a bronze in the individual and freestyle events at the

2004 Summer Paralympics ) , nations = 136 , athletes = 3,806 , events = 519 in 19 sports , opening = 17 September , closing = 28 September , opened_by = President Costis Stephanopoulos , cauldron = Georgios Toptsis , stadium = Olympic ...

. Other medals include two gold and one bronze at the 2005 European Championships and multiple British Dressage Championships. She retired in 2009.

Awards and honours

In 2000, Tustain was awarded the British Equestrian Federation Medal of Honour. In 2003, she was named the best dressage rider by Animal Health Trust. The following year, Tustain was nominated for the

Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability The Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability is an annual award honouring the achievements of individual disabled athletes from the world of Paralympic sports. It was first awarded in 2000 as one of the seven cons ...

in 2004 but lost to

Earle Connor Earle Connor (born July 30, 1976) is a Canadian Paralympic amputee sprinter. Connor holds several athletics world records in the class of T42, or above-knee, amputee. Biography Early life Earle Connor was born July 30, 1976 in Castlegar, B ...

. In 2010, Tustain was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire at the

2010 Birthday Honours The 2010 Birthday Honours for the Commonwealth realms were announced to celebrate the Queen's Birthday on 7 June 2010 in New Zealand, on 12 June 2010 in the United Kingdom, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Sai ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tustain, Nicola 1977 births Living people British female equestrians British dressage riders Paralympic equestrians for Great Britain Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain Paralympic bronze medalists for Great Britain Paralympic medalists in equestrian Equestrians at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Equestrians at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Welsh Paralympic competitors Members of the Order of the British Empire