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“Died 5 Times?”: Horrifying Call Recalled by Equestrian Olympic Champion That Landed Her in a Coma

Published 03/20/2024, 8:59 AM EDT

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The trailblazing British equestrian athlete has not only made history as the first British female Olympic eventing champion but has also set a high standard in the world of equestrian showjumping. Throughout her illustrious career, she has achieved unparalleled success, clinching numerous medals and championships. This 34-year athlete’s crowning achievements include securing Olympic Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, triumphing at the prestigious 2022 Badminton Horse Trials, and emerging victorious at the FEI Eventing European Championship in 2023.

However, her journey to greatness was not without its challenges. In 2013, Laura Collett faced a harrowing setback that nearly derailed her dreams which left her in a coma. Recently, she courageously opened up about that incident, shedding light on her journey of resilience.

Gold Medalist’s terrifying confession: ‘My Heart Stopped Five Times!’

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Team GB shared a captivating video on their YouTube channel just five days ago, engaging their audience of 30.3k subscribers with the intriguing title, “My Heart Stopped Five Times!” In this video, multi-award-winning hair stylist Lisa Farrall engages in a candid conversation with gold medalist Laura Collett. Collett, renowned for her equestrian prowess, passionately describes her deep bond with her best horse, London 52, attributing her numerous victories to their partnership.

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During their conversation, Farrall delves into the more challenging aspects of Collett’s career, asking about the physical toll she’s endured. When asked about the frequency of being kicked or bitten by her horses, Collett humbly responds, “Not that many, really. It’s more the occasional touch of wood cross country. I’ve been very lucky. I had one very bad fall 10 years ago now, which was pretty horrific”. She further recalls, “don’t remember anything from that day. I was knocked out and in an induced coma for a week. So, it was like it didn’t really happen”

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In 2013 she fell from the horse and faced multiple severe injuries such as a fractured shoulder, broken ribs, a punctured lung, and liver, and kidney damage. Furthermore, a bone fragment from her shoulder and damage to her optic nerve left her blind in one eye. Remarkably, up to that point, she had never experienced a fall. However, she further discussed about her fall after viewing it,

Get the inside scoop on her 2024 equestrian competition plans!

When asked if she watched the Fallback, the equestrian star admitted to viewing it, describing the experience as awful. Reflecting on her journey back to the saddle, she acknowledged the difficulty, particularly in contrast to her family and friends’ concerns during her hospitalization. She added, “That’s serious. Yeah, it was. I died five times on the way to the hospital.” However, she has set her plans for this year.

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Laura Collett now wants to follow the same competition plan she used in 2021 when they won gold at the Olympics. Laura and her horse London 52 won’t compete in the highest-level event this spring. Instead, they’ll focus on slightly lower-level competitions like the four-star ones. They aim to compete at Thoresby, possibly Burnham Market, Bicton, and then Luhmühlen, where they won last year.

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Written by:

Maleehah Shakeel

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Maleehah Shakeel is an Olympic Sports writer at EssentiallySports who covers equestrian sports, rodeo, bull riding, and Gymnastics. Maleehah’s stories revolve around various brand endorsement deals of athletes like Jessica Springsteen, Jennifer Gates, and Olivia Dunne. She has written in depth about the brand collaboration between Jessica Springsteen and Tommy Hilfiger.
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Edited by:

Suman Varandani