The Paralympic Games actually turned my whole mentality around about disability. When you're in the Paralympic athletes' village and there are 4,000 disabled people, you stop seeing disability. Totally. Lee Pearson More Quotes by Lee Pearson More Quotes From Lee Pearson We have the can-do factor, and us doing what we do I think inspires people to just try that little bit harder, whether they are able-bodied or disabled. Lee Pearson athlete people thinking I had a donkey called Sally that I used to call my BMX bike. As a child, I wasn't a very good horse rider: I thought falling off was normal, and I would just get back on again. I didn't realise you weren't meant to fall off. Lee Pearson good child you bike If you don't like something, change it. My parents expected me to stay in my office job as an administrator at the Co-op because I'm disabled, but I said no and changed my whole life. Lee Pearson me you change life I always say I'm one of the most normal abnormal people you'll ever meet. I get embarrassed about how many medals I've won, and I get angry when people presume that because you're gay you've got to wear pink and stilettos and camp it up, or that if you're disabled you should act like a victim and not have a life. Lee Pearson you angry life people I couldn't pedal a bike as a child, so I had a donkey instead. I loved the power and freedom it had. Lee Pearson child bike freedom power I feel lucky that I found my talent, not unlucky that I was born with a disability. When I'm on a horse, I'm more worried about what the riding hat is doing to my hair than what my bent legs and arms are doing. What riding has given me is respect. Lee Pearson me respect talent hair Paralympics has always had to push the media into it being about sport and not focusing on the disability. Lee Pearson push always disability media I think it's phenomenal and expected that Paralympians will take on able bodied people more and more. In dressage, it happens all the time. But there are very few adaptions, and they are never allowed to give you an advantage. Lee Pearson think you time people When people chat to me about my childhood and getting into horses, they're like, 'Was it like the birds sang and the sun came out? Was it an amazing experience?' I'm like, 'No, it was rubbish. I was frightened. I was pretty unbalanced, and most ponies took advantage of me.' Lee Pearson me childhood experience people My motivation is paying the mortgage. No joke. Honestly. I still suffer with nerves and think, 'Why am I putting myself through this torture?' It's not actually the love of winning - it's that building of a partnership with a horse. Just riding horses every day keeps me going. And that threat of losing the mortgage. Lee Pearson day myself me love When I pull my white Range Rover into disabled parking bays, the abuse that I get until I actually get out on my crutches is phenomenal, because people presume that you couldn't possibly be disabled and reverse a white Range Rover into that parking space. Lee Pearson you space white people I don't just love riding; I love horses. I was in the field at my yard watching them gallop around and play the other day. That's what keeps me going, and sometimes it has to be something more than just winning. Lee Pearson day me sometimes love I'm just a genetic freak, but it has never stopped me from doing whatever I want to. Lee Pearson doing never me want I joke that the Olympics is the warm-up to the Paralympics. Lee Pearson warm-up joke olympics I've dominated past competitions, but I've sweated blood and tears for every medal. I take nothing for granted, and I'm fully focused on doing my best. Lee Pearson nothing best tears past Before taking up dressage, I'd distanced myself from the Paralympics because I hadn't wanted to be defined by my disability. Then when I grew up and got an office job, things started to change. I'm actually allergic to horses, but I'm even more allergic to paperwork! Lee Pearson job myself disability change I understand when people think dressage is boring. But while your standard horse is like driving a Fiesta, our horses are like driving Formula One cars. I can't breathe without the horse reacting. You are training another being to become really responsive and athletic and powerful. Lee Pearson you training horse people I just love the development of horses, getting into their brains, making them more athletic and powerful, responsive, and I'm rubbish at everything else. Lee Pearson everything powerful development love You know that the world is a better place when people can come up to a severely disabled person and say: 'Well done. You are an inspiration.' Lee Pearson better you people world My life's been surreal from start to finish. Lee Pearson finish been start life
