Portrait of a Legend: Sheila Willcox

Portrait of a Legend celebrates the lives of elite sportswomen who have become icons while impacting other areas of women in sport.  In this archived interview that was recorded in 2011, Chris Stafford talks to British Sheila Willcox who was a pioneer in the sport of Eventing. She became the first woman to achieve international success paving the way for women to be included in the Olympic Games. Her foundations in the Pony Club and the show ring launched a career which proved that men and women can compete on equal terms. She holds the record at Badminton Horse Trials for three consecutive wins from 1957-9. Sheila added individual and team European Championship titles to her record before a devastating fall resulting in a broken back changed the course of her career. She went on to focus on Grand Prix Dressage and later became coach to the Canadian Eventing Team leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. This is a story of determination and the will to overcome personal and professional adversity. Visit us online at www.wispsports.com and follow us @WiSP Sports.