Michèle George
Michèle George (born 2 January 1974) is a Belgian para-equestrian. She won seven gold and one silver medal at the Paralympic Games.[1]
| Michèle George | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 George at the 2012 Summer Paralympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Belgian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Para-dressage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 January 1974 (age 50) Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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She was named "Belgian Paralympian of the Year" twice: in 2014[2] and in 2022.[3]
Early life
changeMichèle George was born on 2 January 1974 in Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium. She started to ride horses in 1982, when she was 12 years old. At first, she tried horse racing, then show jumping, in the end she tried dressage and "fell in love with it".[4]
Career
changeIn 2008, George had a horse-riding accident. Because of that, she got hemiplegia (a paralysis) in her left leg.[5]
She went with her male horse Fbw Rainman at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, finishing second.[6]
In 2012, George and Fbw Rainman went to the London Paralympic Games. There, they won two gold medals. George is the first winner of a gold medal in para-dressage for Belgium.[5] In the same year, she also became the first Paralympian to win the Equestrala (Belgium's equestrian of the year award).[7]
With the same horse, she went to the 2014 World Equestrian Games, finishing first two times.[8]
In 2016, she and Fbw Rainman won a gold and a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.[1]
She then went from para-dressage grade IV to grade V.
In 2021, George and her new mare (female horse) Best Of 8 went to the Tokyo Paralympic Games, where they won two gold medals.[9]
In 2024, she went to the Paris Paralympic Games, where she won two golds with the same horse.[10]
Personal life
changeGeorge has two children. She rides horses with one of them.[4]
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Michèle George". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ↑ Belgian Paralympic Comittee (16 December 2014). "Michèle George named Belgian Paralympian of the Year". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ↑ Equnews Editorial (7 January 2023). "Michèle George is Paralympiër van het jaar 2022!". Equnews (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
Sharon (7 January 2023). "Michèle George est l'athlète paralympique de l'année 2022 !". Equnews (in French). Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024. - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Howell, Robert (24 August 2015). "Get to know world, Paralympic equestrian champion Michele George". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 IPC (24 November 2012). "No. 38: Belgium's George pulls in double surprise". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ↑ "World Equestrian Games 2010". International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ↑ IPC (10 December 2012). "George wins Belgium's Equestrala award". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ↑ "World Equestrian Games 2014". International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ↑ Faulkner, Ruth (30 August 2021). "Animal connection leads to Para equestrian double gold for Belgium's Michele George". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ↑ IPC (11 September 2024). "Paris 2024: Best Para equestrian moments". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
Other websites
change
- Michèle George at FEI
- Michèle George at FEI (alternative link)
- Michèle George at Paralympic.org
- Michèle George at the Belgian Paralympic Committee (in Dutch)
