| Nicknames |
Becca (chronofhorse.com, 09 Oct 2012) |
| Hobbies |
Ballet, going to the beach. (chronofhorse.com, 24 May 2021; blog.wellingtonthemagazine.com, 28 Feb 2020)
She also enjoys kayaking, sailing, camping and rock climbing, and giving back to the Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Foundation by bringing awareness about HSP and working with the children dealing with HSP. (usef.org, 21 August 2024) |
| Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning bronze in the team event at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (Instagram profile, 31 Aug 2021) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"A horse without a rider is still a horse, but a rider without a horse is just a human. When I was in between horses, it really made me realise how much I missed it and I lost a little bit of who I was. That really is what they mean to me. It's who I am and what I live for. I love competing, but I also love the horses and horsemanship aspect of taking care of them every day. There's a certain rhythm to it, and it gives you meaning." (horsenation.com, 13 Sep 2019) |
| Impairment |
She has hereditary spastic paraplegia [HSP], a progressive impairment that causes muscle wasting and paralysis from the middle of the back down. (horsesinthesouth.com, 27 Sep 2014; pennsylvaniaequestrian.com, 04 Mar 2014) |
| Other information |
OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has worked with the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation to raise awareness about hereditary spastic paraplegia [HSP] and help children with HSP. "I try and get people to realise that HSP is only one small part of who they are. It can hit people in different ways, but for me it hits mainly from the mid-back down. You do not have to let your disability or condition, whatever it is, define or control who you are or what you do in this life." (teamusa.org, 01 Jan 2021; chronofhorse.com, 24 May 2021; blog.wellingtonthemagazine.com, 28 Feb 2020)
ADAPTING
She feels her active lifestyle helps her to adapt to the progressive nature of her impairment. "The functionality of my body will continue to deteriorate. I feel it most in my balance, coordination and leg strength. But through being active and maintaining my fitness by riding and working in the gym, I have been able to compensate and adapt, to a point, as the HSP progresses. Unfortunately, there isn't anything that you can take to keep it from progressing. I use a cane if I am standing at an event or party. It allows me to balance and be able to focus on the people I am with rather than having to focus on not falling down." (blog.wellingtonthemagazine.com, 28 Feb 2020)
FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, United States of America. (teamusa.org, 14 Jun 2012)
NEW HORSE
In 2024, she debuted a new horse in her quest to make her fifth straight Paralympic Games, this time aboard Floratina. (usef.org, 21 August 2024) |
FEI Database
www.linkedin.com/pub/rebecca-hart/1b/6a2/b04 
www.facebook.com/rebecca.hart.503 
twitter.com/rebeccalhart 
instagram.com/rebeccahart136 
