Paralympian Breaks 3 Records Days After Kidney Surgery

Just weeks after major kidney surgery left her hospitalized for seven weeks, Paralympic champion Fiona Howard did the unthinkable: she broke three world records in three days.

The British-born US para dressage rider swept all three competitions at the week nine CPEDI3* at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Florida this March. The twist? She was riding Kate Shoemaker's horse Vianne for the very first time in competition.

Fiona, who won team and two individual gold medals at the Paris Paralympics last year, had undergone surgery in December. By early March, she was back in the saddle, setting Grade II records in every class she entered.

Her scores climbed each day. She and the 10-year-old mare scored 78.85% in Friday's para grand prix A test, then jumped to 80.444% on Saturday. All three judges awarded at least 80% that day, and the pair earned a perfect 10 from every judge for their stretching walk half circle.

Sunday brought their strongest performance yet. Fiona and Vianne scored 84.93% in the Grade II freestyle, winning by over 18 percentage points. The mare, who had been competing at international big tour level with her owner, seemed like she'd been Fiona's partner for years.

"Because I'd never shown Vianne before, I didn't know what to expect, but Kate told me that I can totally trust her, and I trust Kate," Fiona said. Kate Shoemaker is both the horse's owner and Fiona's long-term coach.

Why This Inspires

Fiona's story goes beyond athletic achievement. Coming back from major surgery is hard enough. Doing it while learning to partner with a new horse at the highest level of competition seems nearly impossible.

But trust made the difference. Trust in her coach, trust in the horse, and trust in her own resilience after weeks of recovery. That combination led to a hat-trick of world records that seemed unimaginable just months earlier.

"I'm super grateful to Kate for the opportunity to ride this horse," Fiona said. "It was an incredible week, and it's all testament to her training, her coaching and the team of the three of us coming together."

The victory also led the US team to overall victory at the festival, proving that comebacks can lift entire communities.

Fiona's journey from hospital bed to world record holder in a matter of weeks reminds us that our greatest achievements often come after our toughest challenges.