On February 12, 2009, 2-time Olympic silver medalist and World Champion gold medalist, Lis Hartel, died at the age of 87.  Her story is remarkable and goes beyond the usual training and hard work that are part of the making of winners. In 1943, she contracted polio and was left with paralyzed lower legs, left side and hands. Her doctors warned that she should never attempt to ride again, but over a period of 2 and a half years, thinking positively at all times, she worked tirelessly to regain her strength, eventually getting back some movement. Despite the fact that she needed help to mount and dismount her horse, she went on to ride dressage in the 1952 Olympics, the first woman and civilian ever to do so. On her horse, Jubilee, she won the silver medal and repeated that win in the 1956 Olympics. She also won the gold medal in the 1954 World Championships and was the Danish National Dressage Champion 7 times. She was inducted into the Scandinavian Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in New York in 1994.

These accomplishments are not her main legacy, however. She is given credit world-wide for being the driving force for establishing and popularizing therapeutic riding for disabled people. She believed in the power of connection between horses and riders and traveled the world, giving demonstrations, lessons and exhibitions. All the money collected was donated to each country’s polio association. Holland is just one of the countries that named a polio center and riding school after her.

She continued to be active throughout her life and after her career ended, she coached and trained students at her farm and some of them became European Champions and even competed for her native country as late as the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In 1970 the “Riding for the Disabled Association – Lis Hartel” was established and the foundation provides riding lessons to mentally and physically challenged individuals