Credit: British Equestrian/ Jon Stroud Media
Strong Women
“My horse changed my entire life”: para equestrian Natasha Baker on becoming a six-time gold medal-winning athlete
By Alex Sims
6 months ago
6 min read
Six-time gold medal-winning Paralympian Natasha Baker shares how she has balanced motherhood and training and how she’s stayed determined through hard times in the run-up to Paris 2024.
Welcome back to Strong Women’s new series, Going for Gold, where we’ll be looking behind the scenes with incredible female Olympians and Paralympians in the run-up to Paris 2024. From what their training regimes look like to how they support their hormonal health, consider this your insider guide to what it takes to be one of the best in the world.
This week, we’re chatting with the British para-equestrian and National Lottery athlete Natasha Baker, a six-time Paralympic gold medalist who won double gold at London 2012 and triple gold at Rio 2016. In 2021 she was awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours List for her services to equestrianism. Just this week, she claimed Paralympic bronze on her horse, Keystone Dawn Chorus.
Hey, Natasha! Can you tell us how you first got into para equestrian and when you knew you had potential?
I grew up on my family farm so I was surrounded by horses and fell in love with them. I started riding my friends’ ponies from a young age then, when I was eight, I got a spot at my local Riding for the Disabled Association group and rode there every week. I started riding competitively at the RDA National Championships the following year and won my class. That was the start of my journey.
When I watched the Sydney Olympics in 2000, that inspired me and I knew that I really wanted to win a Paralympic gold medal one day. I was talent spotted in the same year and put onto a world-class programme development squad, which meant I was supported by The National Lottery and could then put my all into the sport. The rest is history.
What does your training regime look like to help you prepare for a competition?
I train on one horse at the moment: Keystone Dawn Chorus, or Lottie to her friends. I work with her four or five times a week for around 45 to 60 minutes each time. I also swim every week and have regular physio sessions. I find that yoga a few times per week really helps me because it builds my strength and flexibility. Then most of my downtime is spent chasing around after my son.
That’s a full schedule – how do you fuel your sessions?
I tend to have staple foods like chicken stir fry, spaghetti bolognese and chilli con carne, which are packed with lots of vegetables. I snack on fruit and yoghurt to snack, plus a cheeky packet of Haribo for a sugar kick.
Credit: British Equestrian/ Jon Stroud Media
Some athletes use caffeine to boost their energy levels. What’s your approach?
I hate the taste of coffee. I’m more of a cup of tea girl. In the winter I love to have hot chocolate. It helps keep us warm in the horse box, too.
Talking about energy, does sleep play a big role in your recovery?
I used to have eight hours of sleep a night before I had my son Joshua. Coping with tiredness after having a baby was a big worry for me. I was born without a thyroid, so I have to take Thyroxine, and if my levels are off balance I get super tired. My disability can also make me really tired so I do need a lot of sleep.
Life now is very varied sleep-wise. I usually have around six and a half hours a night, which is a lot better than the early days with Joshua. Sleep is becoming much more consistent but if I have a bad night I’ll try to have a nap during the day. and sleep when the baby sleeps, around my training schedule. It’s not always possible though so I try not to put too much pressure on myself when I’m tired.
When you’ve got a big competition coming up, how do you prepare?
I’ll work out my timetable so I know exactly what I’ve got to do and where I’ve got to be that day. I’ll start my day with physio. It loosens me up and gets my body moving before I ride and it really helps me to perform at my best.
I take my time to get ready in the morning and make sure my hair is neat and tidy. Breakfast is non-negotiable because it’s so important to fuel yourself and start the day right. My usual choices are fruit and yoghurt and porridge or overnight oats.
How do you celebrate after a big win?
I get home late in the day after competitions because I have to take the horses home and settle them first. I love a takeaway dinner; that’s a pretty regular occurrence after a competition – as is popping open a bottle of champagne. As human beings, we’re very quick to reflect on the lows and what could have gone better, but I think it’s just so important to pause and celebrate wins.
Being a competitive athlete comes with some hard times – can you tell us about the toughest moment of your career so far and how you navigated it?
There have been a few. The Beijing Paralympics was one of the hardest points of my life. My horse went lame before final selections, so we were out of contention for the 2008 Games and it was a career-ending injury for my horse. It was incredibly sad. I had to look for another horse with very little money, so it was a super challenging time.
The worst time was when I lost my horse JP (Cabral) after the Rio Paralympics in 2016. He’d finished his career – I retired him in Rio – but we lost him to an accident in the field in February 2017, and it broke my heart. I’m not sure I’m over it even now. He changed my entire life and I will be forever grateful for all he gave me.
Credit: British Equestrian/ Jon Stroud Media
Who do you see as the biggest inspiration for women in para equestrian?
It would have to be Stinna Kasstrup, a remarkable Danish rider. She has no legs and what she can make a horse do is incredible. She’s just beautiful inside and out, too.
What’s one piece of advice would you give to an amateur para-equestrian who is looking to improve?
Go along to a few competitions to watch and observe the best people in the sport – that’s exactly what I did growing up. Spectate at the major championships and soak it up, track down the athletes and ask questions. Knowledge is power, so take your chance to use other riders to fuel your journey.
Thanks to National Lottery players our Olympic and Paralympic athletes are supported to live their dreams and make the nation proud. With more than £30M a week raised for Good Causes, The National Lottery has provided more opportunities for people inspired by athletes like Natasha to take part in the sport. For details visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
Images: British Equestrian/ Jon Stroud Media
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