In a sport so reliant on precision, most people would find wearing an eye patch at least a distraction, and at most an end to their career - but not Fiona Bigwood.
The dressage rider suffered a fall from her horse, Sir Donato, in April 2014, fractured her skull and was left with a severe visual impairment that doctors told her would take eighteen months to repair.
A little more than two years out from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, most riders would have given up on their dream of making it to the top table of sports competition.
And indeed Bigwood did consider quitting, she was on the brink, but persevered and will now fulfil her Olympic dream after being selected in the quartet of dressage riders to represent Team GB in Brazil.
The 40-year-old mum-of-three will compete in Rio wearing an eye patch, just as she has since returning to the sport in 2015, following nearly a year out of competition.
[quote:I'm really pleased to have finally made the team. I've done the Worlds and Europeans, so doing the Olympics will be the icing on the cake:Fiona Bigwood:left]
The visual impairment that nearly ended her career is not fully rectified, the nerve that controls muscular movements in her right eye is still damaged, meaning her vision is out of focus.
Somehow, though, she has adjusted to wearing the eye patch and helped Great Britain to team dressage silver at last year’s European Championships in Aachen, Germany.
“I was at a competition, I was riding a horse that was nervous of other horses,” said the rider and horse trainer, recalling the moment that almost ended her career.
“I had my line, and that was clear, but then another horse came into his path and he got scared and fell over.
“I banged my head on the ground, I was knocked out. I don’t remember much of it but I came to in hospital and kept going on about my vision.
“They were more worried about brain damage and said the eye sight will come back, ‘don’t worry about it - in 90 per cent of cases, within a year you’re fine’.
“But then of course it didn’t, so I am left with this.” Six months before her fall from Sir Donato, Bigwood acquired a mare, Atterupgaards Orthilia, and she has credited her new horse - on which she will ride in Rio - with bringing her out of the dark and into the Olympic spotlight.
“We just call her Tilly,” added the 2010 world team silver medallist.
“After the fall I couldn’t ride for a period of time, but once I was fit enough then I kept on riding her and she has kept me going through it all - I’ve been riding her properly for a year now and she’s a big reason why I’m going to Rio.”
While Bigwood was initially told that her vision was likely to return to normal, it now transpires that the nerve damage was so severe that, without surgery, it will never fully heal.
She could have gone under the knife earlier this year, but so close to realising her Olympic dream, and with her performance levels already warranting a spot in Rio, she did not want to jeopardise her chances any more than they already had been.
“It was too close to the Olympics and as I could compete without it, then I didn’t want to risk it,” she added.
“I might try it afterwards because it won’t get better by it’s own. It’s been like it for two years and hasn’t improved.
“It’s amazing how the body adapts, though. I have totally adjusted now to wearing the patch now, but the first few months were hard.
“Depth perception was the main thing. When I first went to compete after I’d had the accident I tried to judge the centre of my line, and with dressage being about accuracy and precision, it was a real issue.
“Also, if a horse spooks, or gets nervous and suddenly moves, then I used to be able to judge how far it had gone by using both eyes, but with the patch on it’s hard, so there were some scary moments at the beginning, but it’s ok now.”
After overcoming all the adversity life has thrown at her, Bigwood will join London 2012 gold medallists Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester, as well as fellow Olympic debutant Spencer Wilton, in Rio and they have their eyes firmly set on repeating Team GB’s team dressage success from four years ago.
“I’m really pleased to have finally made the team, I’ve done the Worlds and Europeans, so doing the Olympics will be the icing on the cake,” added Bigwood.
“It’s been the target on and off for quite a while, I had my kids over 2012 so couldn’t compete, then didn’t have the right horse for other Olympics, so everything’s just gelled this time.
“I have silvers in the world and Europeans so I’m hopefully going to bring back a nice medal from Rio to add to those.
“Our preparation has been going really well. We just had a competition and people were getting personal bests there, so hopefully we’re on track.
“If we can ride our top scores then we’ll stand a chance of getting gold, but we will see, it’ll be exciting.”
Sportsbeat 2016