Born with cerebellar ataxia, Abby McIlree was underestimated by some when she was young, including preschool teachers who did not believe she could live a normal life.
The disability reduces her sense of balance to the point that she is unable to walk more than a few steps by herself. Her muscle tone is low and her body is unable to regulate heat, which causes her to feel weak and numb.
But the 21-year-old, now in her third year studying BCom law at Tuks, where she lives in residence, dreams of competing for South Africa in dressage at the Paralympics one day.
McIlree, who funds her riding through various side gigs like designing equestrian clothing, and being a brand ambassador for a few companies, started horse-riding at the age of two as a form of therapy. “I did hippotherapy for about three years,” she told the Sunday Times.
“The horse is already well trained and you do physical therapy on the horse because the movement of a horse resembles walking. And then slowly I wanted to do more.”
After three years, McIlree joined a regular riding school, falling in love with a sport in which she was able to achieve freedom of movement.
“It’s a different feeling because you can go where you want to go, you can go fast, you can do what you want to do. It’s kind of like I can do what everyone else does and it’s great. I don’t have to worry about the grass being too thick for my scooter to go through.
“I can go with friends and do what they do,” said McIlree, who prefers to go no faster than a trot on a horse, though occasionally she will attempt a low jump when she’s in the mood.
“I’m more of a slow person,” added McIlree, who was adopted at birth.
It is believed her condition may have been caused after her biological mother contracted mumps during the third trimester of her pregnancy.
McIlree’s parents never considered sending her to a special school, packing her off to junior school on a regular shop-bought plastic motor bike. “It was good because then my legs could get strong as well,” said McIlree, who graduated to a wheelchair and to her first scooter in Grade 5.
These days she has a driving licence, though she needs someone on each end of the drive to help her pack and unpack the scooter.
Her low muscle tone makes her what she describes as floppy, which helps when she falls off by giving her a soft landing. The worst injury she’s suffered to date has been a sprained wrist.
The biggest horse-riding casualty to date was probably her father whose foot found its way under her horse’s hoof recently. “My dad was helping me off and unfortunately he got stood on. Not on purpose. I think my dad has a bit of PTSD though,” she added with a laugh.
“Every time someone’s around he’s like ‘careful, he’s going to stand on you’.”
McIlree believes horses can sense when they need to be gentle, especially with disabled riders. “You can definitely tell when I get on, they’re like ‘OK, this one we’ve got to keep safe’. Watching my friends get on some of my old horses, they’ll be completely mad, going all over the place, bucking, and then I get on they’re like ‘we’re calm now’.”
One of her role models is Philippa Johnson, who won two equestrian golds at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. “It’s amazing to watch her, and I’ve had a lesson with her once as well. She’s such a nice person.”
Qualifying for the Paralympics will require entering graded competitions, and that will mean competing abroad.
McIlree is targeting the 2032 Brisbane Games rather than the showpiece in Los Angeles in 2028. For one, temperatures will be cooler during the Australian winter than in the US summer.
But she also doesn’t want to compromise her studies. “I’m studying full time until 2027, and I’m going to have to do my articles in 2028 and 2029 so ... 2032 is the realistic one [but] if 2028 can happen, that would be great.”
McIlree, who tries to keep her university marks above 75%, and is in the Golden Key for the top 15% of students, has developed some keen interest in a few legal areas, including laws around disabled access in public areas.
From the width of parking bays to access to shopping centres, she quickly spots if laws have been transgressed. “If you see a normal-sized parking lot with a wheelchair sign, that’s not legal. Or if it’s on a slope.”
McIlree has only recently returned to riding after undergoing a spinal fusion for scoliosis, a degenerative curvature of the spine that developed when she was about three, probably a knock-on effect of the ataxia.
She had the surgery in November last year and it took a while to get back to normal, initially managing only three lectures a day.
McIlree has eased back into riding and plans to get back into the competitive saddle from January.
