By Meg Kennedy<\/p>\n
An old saying states if you get bucked off the horse you must get back on; Kelly Frost has done just that. However, it was not a horse that caused her to become a paraplegic.
\nIt wasn\u2019t a Good Friday for Ms Frost 19-years ago, her life changed forever on that superstitious Friday 13.
\nThe Gordon resident, 15-years-old at the time, was seriously injured in a head-on car collision along Gisborne Rd Coimadai.
\nBut that wasn\u2019t the end of her journey.
\nIn 2016, Ms Frost discovered she had an aneurysm near her heart.
\nA stent was put in, which later blocked and cut off all blood supply to her waist, causing a major heart attack and a heart condition.
\nThis resulted in Ms Frost becoming a T10 incomplete paraplegic, with just a two percent chance of regaining anymore movement in her legs.
\n\u201cThe physios told me they think [I can regain movement], but the doctors told me no\u2026that there\u2019s a two percent chance of regaining anything more than what I left rehab with,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve gained more since I\u2019ve left rehab, but\u2026it\u2019s just work, work, work and see what we can get.\u201d
\nHaving always grown up around horses, Ms Frost was determined to ride again.
\nThis led her to Equine Pathways Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that works towards getting people with muscular and strength issues back into riding.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking of returning to riding, just as a pleasure thing, and I was put onto Julia at Equine Pathways Australia,\u201d she said.
\nAfter some time back in the saddle, Ms Frost has set her sight at representing Australia in the 2022 World Equestrian Games in Denmark.
\nIn preparation for the event, Ms Frost explained she will be doing some local events this year, but needs to be classified before she can compete.
\nThe level system for para-equestrian riders ranges from Grade 1 up to Grade 5 \u2013 the latter being a walk-only test, to a \u2018Grand Prix\u2019 level riding style in the former.
\nMs Frost said she is looking at competing in Grade 3, which involves a walk, trot, lateral work and canter.
\nAs for why horse riding is so important to her, Ms Frost said it \u201cgives me something to do every day and get out of bed.\u201d
\nShe trains regularly with well-known riders, including Paralympic gold medallist Joann Formosa, and could soon be competing against Australian Paralympic rider Emma Booth.
\n\u201cObviously I enjoy it, it\u2019s my hobby. I\u2019ve got four kids and they\u2019re all school-aged, so now that I\u2019m not able to work as much as I used to be able to\u2026I just need something else to keep me occupied, so I enjoy it a lot,\u201d she said.
\nEven after everything she\u2019s been through, Ms Frost believes that if it were a different outcome, she would not be in the position she is now.
\n\u201cIf it was a different situation, I would never have done it. I don\u2019t think I would be where I\u2019m at,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Meg Kennedy An old saying states if you get bucked off the horse you must get back on; Kelly Frost has done just that. However, it was not a horse that caused her to become a paraplegic. It wasn\u2019t a Good Friday for Ms Frost 19-years ago, her life changed forever on that superstitious […]<\/p>\n