Sophie Christiansen CBE

Sophie Christiansen is 29 and comes from Ascot. She was born two months prematurely with cerebral palsy and survived despite suffering jaundice, blood poisoning, a heart attack and a collapsed lung.

She began riding aged six on a school trip as a form of physiotherapy, loved the freedom horses gave her, and took up dressage when she was 13. Three years later, she was the youngest member of the Great Britain squad to compete at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. She has won 10 medals at the last three Games, including triple gold at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. Christiansen has a first-class masters degree in mathematics and took unpaid leave from her role as analyst for an investment bank to compete in Rio.

Sophie says of her appointment as the Memorial’s first Celebrity Ambassador: “I am both delighted and honoured to be associated with such an important project that recognises the contribution horses have made to us humans in the past, and continue to make through their strength, kindness and intuition”.