A New Ride For Former Equestrian

Hanna Dodd could sense her body and mind was changing.

The pressure and practicality of competing in elite Equestrian was taking its toll and she could feel her functionality was evolving.

But one thing didn’t change – the desire to compete.

The 29-year-old will join the prestigious group of athletes to compete in more than one sport at the Paralympics when she takes the court for the Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team (The Gliders) in their opening match at Tokyo 2020 on Wednesday.

“If someone had told me after London that I’d be coming back to the Games as a basketballer I probably would have laughed at them.” Dodd said.

“I’d never done a sport outside of horse riding in my whole life. I’d been a horse rider since I was four months old up until 22 or 23.

“Basketball was just a release sport for a bit of fun away from the elite level equestrian. It was supposed to be a fun thing but I’m just a really competitive person.”

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Soon enough, Dodd was invited to train with the Sydney Uni Flames, played her rookie season in 2013, and a new path to a second Paralympics had begun.

She juggled both sports for a couple of years but the cost and travel of equestrian, along with her changing physical condition, saw her focus on the hoops from 2015.

Dodd has, among other conditions, peripheral neuropathy, a nerve issue which effects the use of hands and feet.
“I started losing function with my hands and then it started effecting my already damaged nerves in my legs,” she explained.

“I lost a lot of trunk function and a lot of hand a grip function, and obviously when you’re trying to sit up tall on a horse and hold onto your reins, it was definitely really difficult.

“Because of where I was classified, I couldn’t get the exemptions to ride properly and competitively.”

Dodd’s 2012 equestrian campaign was hampered by illness to her and her horse, a despite a creditable showing, the desire to be at her best at the Games was a driving factor in her path to Tokyo.

“It was unfinished business for me, from London, to come back and compete at a Paralympics and do it smoothly and do it well.” she said.

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Dodd is one of five members of the Australian team in Tokyo who is competing at the Paralympics in a second sport.
Fellow basketballer Michael Auprince also competed in London – as a swimmer – while flagbearer Daniela Di Toro (table tennis – formerly tennis), Dylan Alcott (tennis – formerly basketball) and Amanda Reid (cycling – formerly swimming) are the other Australian multi-sport Paralympians in Tokyo.

The Gliders begin their campaign on Wednesday afternoon local time against hosts Japan.

Both teams are returning to the Paralympics. Three-time silver medallists Australia didn’t qualify in Rio de Janeiro while Japan hasn’t competed in the women’s wheelchair basketball since finishing fourth in Beijing in 2008.

Dodd is among 10 members of the 12-strong Gliders squad who are competing in a Paralympic basketball tournament for the first time.

Her path back to the Paralympics has now come full circle. Where she started shooting hoops to release the stress of equestrian, it’s now the other way around.

“I definitely miss it. My parents still live on the farm and still have horses.” she said

“We have one that I’m pretty close with-he’s a big Clydesdale-crosscalled ‘Batman’. He’s a real sweetie so if I ever get the chance I usually go and jump on Batman when I get home.”

Watch the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games live and free on Seven and 7plus from August 24 – September 5.

AUSTRALIA WOMEN’S WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL – “THE GLIDERS”
GROUP A FIXTURES
(All times Australian Eastern standard time)
Wednesday August 25: 6pm v JAPAN (Musashino Forest Sport Plaza)
Thursday August 26: 10am v GERMANY (Musashino Forest Sport Plaza)
Saturday August 28: 9.30pm v GREAT BRITAIN (Ariake Arena)
Sunday August 29: 9.30pm v CANADA (MusashinoForst Sport Plaza)

By: Paralympics Australia
Posted: 25 August 2021