Saddled from birth with a rare disorder called arthrogryposis multiplex congenital hasn't made equestrian Lee Pearson shy. Unable to walk without crutches, he has won the most gold medals of any dressage rider in the history of the Paralympics. Still remarkable, his London showing last summer was the worst of his career (one gold, one silver, one bronze, whereas he took three golds apiece at prior Paralympic games in Sydney, Athens, and Beijing) yet he felt strongly his lifetime total ought to have earned him a knighthood. When he was passed over by the New Year's Honors list he told the media, "It's the discrepancy that pisses me off." (Runner Kelly Holmes was made a dame in 2005 after winning two gold medals at the 2004 Olympics.) Pearson said, "Obviously, 10 gold, one silver and one bronze just isn't enough. I’m disappointed because I do feel I’ve given a lot to Paralympic sport and equestrianism. I think ten gold medals is quite an achievement."
Lee also speaks frankly about the quaint "Aww, that's nice" attitude of non-disabled riders the first time they saw him on his crutches. He beat them all to win the 2003 British National Championships.
Correction: In August 2012 the Independent reported that Lee had a new, 18 year-old boyfriend Ben after "He broke up with [Lincolnshire fireman Mark] Latham in February [2012] and is now in the process of a messy divorce" from their civil partnership which began in August 2010. Apparently the process is still ongoing. This morning Mark Latham emailed me to explain, "Mr. Pearson is not 'ending' the Civil Partnership as I am the one petitioning against him on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour."
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Posted by: Queens | February 05, 2014 at 06:01 AM