Mum and son activity becomes a life-affirming passion

Wholehearted. Passionate. Caring

Paige Connolly started volunteering for Riding for the Disabled (RDA) Oakford more than ten years ago because it was something she and her teenaged son could do together.

Paige knew from the start that she wanted to be involved and watched in awe as the riders developed their ability as their lessons progressed.

“The horses made my heart melt as I watched them bring so much joy and love to their riders and volunteers,” she says.

Paige grew up with horses and has always had a deep affinity to them. She has not looked back since her first day at RDA and has qualified as a riding coach.

A large part of her inspiration comes from her brave little brother Dean, who passed away when they were children. “He had cystic fibrosis and is the reason I focus on people’s abilities, not disabilities.”

Paige is excited to have been voted a Westfield Local Hero but is adamant it is a collective honour for all the volunteers, riders, vaulters and parents.

“Horses are my passion, but you don’t need riding experience to volunteer. We have people who feed the horses or do the gardens or the administration. It’s amazing what people do and what they commit to.”

The riding school offers classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and Paige is part of the glue that holds it together.

Her enthusiasm is infectious, and her fellow volunteers say she is the reason teenagers get out of bed early on a Saturday morning to come and help instead of sleeping in.

“It is humbling to see our riders’ self-confidence improve as they master new skills and continue to build deeper connections with their horse, coach and volunteers,” says Paige.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation.

RDA will use its grant to buy a vaulting horse and equipment.

“The money is really brilliant,” says Paige. It opens a lot of doors for us. It turns a lot of our wishlist from a dream into reality.”

__For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here. __