Olivia’s Story

Olivia Roberts is a passionate horse rider who has always had horses in her life. Riding since the age of five, Olivia’s journey with horses took a more serious turn when, at 15, she finally got her first horse and began riding with a new focus. She’s always dreamed of eventing and competing at the highest levels, and with her horse, Garry – a talented and kind horse – Olivia (32) began moving up the levels.

“I go to work to fund my eventing,” Olivia laughs. A self-employed dog groomer, she balances the demands of her job with her deep passion for horses. “I wouldn’t know what to do without them.”

On 20 July 2024, Olivia was competing at the prestigious Aston Le Walls Equestrian Centre in Northamptonshire, known for its challenging courses and world-class riders. She was stepping up from the Novice to the Intermediate level – a significant step forward. It had been a season of great progress, and she felt ready for the challenge.

That day, the weather was perfect – clear blue skies and sunny, an ideal setting for eventing. Olivia and Garry had already completed the first two phases of the competition with ease, feeling confident and on track for a great result. As she warmed up for the cross-country course, she couldn’t have known that just moments later, her life would change in a “freak accident”.

The Intermediate course was tough – the biggest she had ever walked. “Just be confident and brave,” Olivia remembers her trainer saying. At the fence before the accident, Garry hesitated ever so slightly, not jumping as confidently as usual. “You have to push them on, be confident,” Olivia told herself.

As she approached the next fence, which was a simple roll-top, a relatively small jump, something wasn’t quite right. “He wasn’t out of his depth, he’s jumped these before with ease,” Olivia says. Two strides out, Garry seemed to doubt the take-off, and in that split second, everything went wrong.

“I could see where to take off, but he didn’t see that, and I pushed for the stride, and we got into a muddle,” Olivia recalls. The result was catastrophic. Olivia was thrown from the horse, landing hard on the ground with her horse falling on top of her.

Her head and body took the full force of the impact, and she was knocked unconscious for what felt like an eternity. “I remember coming round, not being able to make a sound, my vision was blurry, and I couldn’t focus on anything, Olivia says, recalling the moment she regained consciousness. Her face was blue, and she wasn’t breathing.” It was a terrifying moment for everyone around her.

The first responders, including St John’s Ambulance, arrived quickly as they were on-site, but Olivia’s injuries were severe, and the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance was activated at 10:43 am and mobile just three minutes later. The critical care crew arrived on scene within 10 minutes, stabilising Olivia, providing advanced pain relief, and preparing her for the flight to the hospital.

“I don’t remember much of what happened after that, but I felt calm when the air ambulance crew arrived,” Olivia recalls. “I knew everything was going to be okay. They were so professional, yet kind, and I felt at ease. I was in the most vulnerable state of my life, and they made me feel safe.”

The crew, recognising the severity of Olivia’s condition, treated her with expert care, applying a scoop to move her safely, placing her on oxygen, and administering pain relief. Olivia was quickly airlifted to University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, where her injuries were assessed.

Olivia had fractured seven ribs, punctured her left lung, which had collapsed along with her right lung, and suffered multiple fractures to her spine and wrist. There were internal injuries as well, including damage to her lower back muscles and nerves, as well as an internal bleed affecting her neck. Miraculously, Olivia needed no surgery, and it was here that her recovery journey began.

Despite the excruciating pain, Olivia’s determination shone through. “I’d never broken anything before this accident, so I didn’t know what to expect. It felt like being hit by a bus,” Olivia says. She was discharged from the hospital just a few days later, but her recovery would take time and effort. “They told me I might never get full use of my wrist again, and I wasn’t sure how I’d recover mentally.”

Six weeks later, Olivia was back in the saddle. “I had a lot of goals. I was lunging Garry and doing some groundwork with him while I was recovering, it gave me purpose every day.” Her recovery wasn’t without setbacks, and there were days of intense pain and mental struggle. “Mentally, I struggled a lot while recovering, I didn’t know if I would be confident enough to compete back at that level or not. But I kept telling myself, ‘You’re strong, you can do this,’” Olivia reflects.

Despite the challenges, Olivia was back jumping within months. “I did some winter training, rebuilding my confidence and working on the basics. I’ll be ready for competitions again in March,” she says, with a hopeful smile.

Reflecting on the role the air ambulance played in her survival, Olivia is filled with gratitude. “I always knew about them, and I have had a few friends who were airlifted in the past. I’ve supported them before, by doing a skydive and raised just under £1,000 for the air ambulance, but I can’t believe how much they helped me. They were calm, collected, and brought that level of pre-hospital emergency care. It’s so important that we have people like them when we need them the most.”

Olivia’s accident could have been far worse. She could have sustained permanent damage to her spinal cord. Thanks to the rapid response of the first responders and of the air ambulance’s skilled medical team, she’s on the road to recovery with no life-changing injuries.

Her experience has left her not only with a renewed sense of appreciation for life but with a desire to give back to the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance charity that helped save her life.

“I’d love to do a fundraiser for them. They were incredible,” she says, “I’m alive, and I’m determined to keep going. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”