Boyd Martin, a seasoned equestrian rider and owner of Windurra USA, a farm and training facility in southern Chester County, is ready for his fourth Olympics, writes Mike Sielski for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Martin, who emigrated from Australia in 2007, turns 45 in August and has plenty of scars to show for his decades of equestrian experience. Since he was 16, there was never any other sport in his mind.

He has suffered 18 fractures and undergone 22 surgeries over the years. He has had several rods and plates implanted, as well as many screws. All of these injuries come from the sport, whether he took a tumble, fell, or crashed when was in the saddle.

“Had core surgery four times,” he said. “My groin has torn off the bone a couple of times.”

However, he explained that since he competes three times as frequently as average riders, he also injures himself more frequently. He has no intention of slowing down, though. He believes he will be at his best in Paris and over the next decade in the sport.

“It comes with the territory,” said Martin. “If you’re in this sport, you’re going to have it. You sort of get spat out. You dust yourself off and get back on and go back to work. I don’t really think about it much.”

Read more about Boyd Martin’s trials, tribulations, and equestrian successes in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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