Meet Lily Rhodes - Para Equestrian, Active Weight Lifter, and Inspirational Light
After losing her arm in an awful ATV accident at the age of 14, Lily B Rhodes, an equestrian her whole life, was determined not to let her new disability disable her from climbing back into the saddle. Now, at 20 years old, Lily is a collegiate equestrian riding for the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, VA, and is inspiring people of all ages to find their wings and fly through her social media presence, and her overall uplifting and infectious energy. Recreational Habits had the honor of sitting down and spoking to Lily, the bouncy smiley blonde, about overcoming obstacles, trying new disciplines and the healing power of horses.
As Lily began to share her life on social media, just as many young women do daily, she found that her story and voice could be a vehicle for exposure and her page could serve as a community for anyone feeling uninspired or discouraged, regardless of the obstacle in their path. Suddenly, Lily was receiving DM’s from strangers who were going through a difficult time, were disabled, or were new amputees. As people began to share their stories and struggles with her, Lily harnessed the power of exposure and shares resources that she finds useful and lets her community know that being disabled does not define you, you define yourself and that we are all capable of more than any of us give ourselves credit for. But to better understand how we got here; it is best to start from the beginning.
Lily was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, into a horse loving family. Her mother was an equestrian and similarly as her daughter, was on the riding team at the University of Lynchburg, which at the time was Lynchburg college. Lily remarks that she “inherited the horse loving gene from her”. When reflecting on early childhood memories of riding, Lily painted us a picture of visiting her grandparents’ home, where they also had horses and where they would ride around the vast open fields on retired quarter horses. These memories would inspire Lily down the road to get back into the saddle after her accident.
When she was 14 an afternoon on ATV’s quickly took a turn for the worst and resulted in Lily losing her arm. Lily’s surgeon was also a horseback rider, so they worked together to distinguish a path of recovery that would hopefully land her back on top of a horse. With the determination that Lily harnesses, she was back in the saddle roughly 10 days later, post-accident, on a lead line walking. “It was my ah-ha moment, and right then and there I knew for certain that I could not live without riding and horses being a part of my life”. Her first official ride back in the saddle by herself came a month after her accident; a truly incredible feat.
After her accident, Lily began riding her pony that she rode growing up again, and anyone that has had the pleasure of being around ponies also knows that they are notorious for being stubborn but horses in general are known for their emotions. “It was like he instantly knew that something was different, and he knew he had to take care of me. I felt like he knew I needed his support, and he gave it to me. It was such a healing experience for me, and he allowed me to feel comfortable riding again, which is the biggest gift I could have ever asked for.” Lily basically had to re-learn how to be in the saddle, re-find her balance and the learning curve was steep, but riding gave her a sense of purpose because she had a goal she was striving to achieve.
The days of braiding her hair and carrying loads of stuff while simultaneously opening a door were behind her, but when she is on her horse, she describes it as one area in her life that she is on an equal playing field. “I can do just as much on a horse as the person next to me in the ring can, even if they are not disabled. I am able to compete against other para-riders and other able-bodied riders and I love that!” Another key aspect in her recovery was her mother, who happened to be a Therapeutic Riding Instructor for over a decade, who specialized in children with disabilities. “My mother helped me to regain my balance, my strength and re-find my core. I owe her a lot for helping me get back and feeling comfortable in the saddle.”
Now, at 20 years old, Lily spends most of her year on her university’s campus and living the collegiate dorm life. Upon arriving at college, Lily also made the switch from being a Dressage rider to a hunter. “I am always down to try something new and different, and since I wanted to ride in college, I knew that I would have to switch disciplines and I took on that new challenge with eager excitement. I got to learn a whole new set of skills which I think overall made me a more well-rounded horseback rider.” But changing disciplines naturally comes with its challenges. “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to support the horse and give them the ride that they deserve to be successful. I had to find my balance over fences and jumping, and I never wanted to get in the horse’s way because of my disability, but I did finally find my stride and I really love being a hunter rider now.”
As a member of the equestrian team, she has found a community within the campus community. In a sport that is so singular, such as competitive riding, having teammates has been a wonderful thing. The team has practice 3x a week and on the weekends, they travel to competitions, making sure to stop on their way at Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee and snacks and make sure to grab a few jelly filled donuts for the horses. In addition, the team participates in weight training 2x a week, which Lily has really taken a liking to and has become a new recreational habit for her.
When asked about final thoughts or words of advice that she would like to share, Lily shared the following. “Just get back in the saddle, because at the end of the day we do it because we love horses. Comparing ourselves to others or to where we once were is useless. Do it for your love of riding, for your love of these incredible animals, and because you have fun doing it.” Be sure to follow Lily on Instagram here.
Lily’s Favorite Riding Items: