Joann Formosa

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Joann Formosa
Formosa on the field in 2012
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1961-02-19) 19 February 1961 (age 63)
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportEquestrian
Medal record
Equestrian
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Mixed Dressage - Championship grade Ib

Joann Formosa, OAM (born 19 February 1961) is an Australian Para-equestrian, who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics.

Personal[edit]

Joann Helen Formosa was born on 19 February 1961,[1][2] and is from Broadford[1] in central Victoria.[3] She attended university, where she studied art.[1]

Formosa has spinal cord and nerve damage, caused by an accident following an attempt to open a gate while she was riding a horse.[1][4] She can walk with the aid of crutches,[5] though she is not self-sufficient, and requires assistance from nursing staff at Mitchell Community Health Services.[4] She has severe allergies to substances including horse feed and hay.[6]

Equestrian[edit]

Formosa started competing in equestrian in 1980.[1] Before her accident, she competed in dressage and show jumping events.[4] She helped found Kilmore Adult Riding Club, the first adult pony club in her region.[4]

Formosa at the 2012 London Paralympics
Formosa wearing her gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics

Formosa is a Grade 1B equestrian dressage competitor.[1][5] As a competitor in this class, she is required to perform a "dressage test involving medium to collected walk, a quarter walk pirouette and a long rein walk, as well as working trot and lengthening in the trot."[5] She competes without stirrups as she does not have enough leg control to justify them.[4] She has been coached by Manuela McLeans since 2011.[4][7] She is a member of Riding for the Disabled Victoria,[8] and is based at the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre at Clonbinane.[9] As of 2012, she has a scholarship with the Victorian Institute of Sport.[10]

At the 2006 Victorian State Dressage Championships, Formosa finished first in the Grade 1B event while riding Greenhill Chromes Reflection.[11] She competed in the 2006 World Equestrian Games, where she made her national team debut and competed in her first competition outside Australia.[1][9] After returning from this competition, Formosa had an accident while riding her horse.[1] She was a member of Australia's 2009 National High Performance Squad.[12] In 2009, she competed in the Australian Masters Game.[13] She finished first in the 2011 National Championship in the Grade 1B category.[1][9] At the Victorian-hosted 2011 Oceania Championships, she won two gold medals.[1] At the 2012 London Paralympics, she won a gold medal in the Mixed Dressage - Championship grade Ib event.[14] She qualified on Worldwide PB, a "former Wanganui-owned Hanoverian stallion" that she acquired in December 2011.[3][5]

Recognition[edit]

In November 2013, Formosa was awarded the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) Against All Odds award.[15] She was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2014 Australia Day Honours "for service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Joann Formosa". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Australia Day honours list 2014: in full". Daily Telegraph. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b Price, Libby (9 July 2012). "Riding high for the Paralympics". Bush Telegraph. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Horses Formosa off to London". Weekly Times Now. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d Iain Hyndman (17 July 2012). "Worldwide lands London spot". Wanganui Chronicle. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  6. ^ Paxinos, Stathi (3 September 2012). "Battler downs champion to take gold". The Age. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  7. ^ "Joann Formosa". Australian Equine Behaviour Centre. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  8. ^ Burin, Margaret (16 July 2012). "Mini Olympics puts spotlight on Paralympics potential". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  9. ^ a b c "Joann Formosa". Equestrian Australia. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Victorian Athletes Selected for London Olympics and Paralympics". VicSport. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  11. ^ Cleland, Fran (20 September 2006). "Crowning glory for RDA riders". The Weekly Times. Melbourne, Australia. p. 62. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  12. ^ Fran Cleland (25 May 2009). "Horses Battams to lead Para squads". Weekly Times. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  13. ^ "12th AUSTRALIAN MASTERS GAMES". Geelong Advertiser. Australia. 21 February 2009. p. 55. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Joann Formosa". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  15. ^ "Australia's Joann Formosa honoured at FEI Awards Gala". International Paralympic Committee News. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
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