Laura Collett Profile
Telling the inspirational story of Team GB’s Laura Collett (MBE), from a near-fatal accident that left her blind in one eye to winning Olympic Gold.
Empowering Team GB Equestrian Laura Collett's Story in National Media:
I helped Team GB equestrian Laura Collett (MBE) share her inspiring journey with a wider audience through prominent media platforms.
Securing an exclusive full-page interview and photoshoot in The Daily Telegraph, I generated over 100k estimated coverage views across their online platforms and republishing partners like Yahoo Sport and Yahoo News.
Laura Collett (MBE), the indomitable British equestrian, has become a true symbol of perseverance and triumph in the world of eventing. At just 33 years old, Collett's awe-inspiring journey from a life-threatening accident to claiming Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 is nothing short of extraordinary.
Collett's love affair with horses began at a tender age, and her talent was evident from the start. At the age of 13, she secured her first major victory, capturing the prestigious Supreme Pony title at the Horse of the Year Show. Her ascent through the ranks was meteoric, collecting an astonishing seven medals during her youth career, including three individual golds.
As she transitioned to senior competitions, Collett's dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence propelled her to represent Team GB at three European Championships as an individual.
However, fate had a different plan for Collett—one that would test her spirit and resilience to the core. In July 2013, a harrowing riding accident at the Tweseldown Horse Trials threatened to shatter her dreams. With a fractured shoulder, broken ribs, a punctured lung, a lacerated liver, and damage to her kidneys, she had to be resuscitated five times and was placed in an induced coma for six days. Though she recovered from most of her injuries, the loss of sight in her right eye posed a formidable challenge. Undeterred, Collett returned to the saddle the same day she left hospital, just 11 days after the accident, determined to reclaim her place in the equestrian world!
Seven years later, Collett defied the odds and realised her childhood dream by securing her first five-star title at the 2020 Pau Horse Trials. The victory was a testament to her unwavering spirit and the exceptional partnership she had forged with London 52. The duo had already made waves, triumphing at Blenheim Horse Trials in 2018 and securing victory in the Boekelo Horse Trials in 2019.
If her triumph at Pau was awe-inspiring, her performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 was nothing short of historic. As part of the British eventing team, Collett contributed to their gold medal victory, delivering a performance that defied expectations. Not only did she help secure the team's lowest score in history, but she also finished ninth individually, a remarkable achievement considering the challenges she had overcome.
In 2022 Collett was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to Equestrianism, before clinching victory at the legendary Badminton Horse Trials, etching her name into the event's history books with the lowest finishing score ever recorded. Such feats propelled her to be named the ‘2022 Professional Rider of the Year’ by Horse and Hound magazine, an accolade that further solidified her status as one of the sport's brightest stars.
As she embarked on her most recent campaign, Collett showcased her unwavering dominance, claiming an unprecedented treble of five-star victories with London 52 at Luhmuhlen, adding to her previous wins at Pau and Badminton.
Looking ahead, Collett's sights are firmly set on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she aims to defend the team title and surpass her previous individual placement.