The 59-year-old from Sydney in Australia trains on the outskirts of Melbourne at the Melton Equestrian Academy and her friend at the Academy Beverley Aird instigated a nude calendar to raise funds for Pike's Paralympic dream.

The Calendar Girls 2011-2012 features 15 women - all either mothers or riders at the academy and all aged over 50 - in tasteful poses with the horses.

Pike's training alone costs about $30,000 and getting to the 2012 Paralympics will be an additional $60,000 so she admits funds from the calendar have been vital for her.

"The calendars have allowed me to carry on my training this year," said Pike, who has cerebral palsy and moves with the aid of a wheelchair.


"I'm on a pension so without them I wouldn't be here today.

"I've done a lot of wonderful things in life – I've been white water rafting and abseiling, but some of my happiest times have been on a horse.

"You only get one chance on this earth and so you may as well have a go at it.

"When I'm on a horse I have legs.

"That's the beauty of horse-riding; I have so much mobility and freedom of movement, which I can never experience on the ground.

"When I'm on a horse I can dance and trot and walk properly.

"Instead of having two bad legs, I have four good ones."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]