Joann Formosa
{{short description|Australian equestrian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor = green
| textcolor = yellow
| name = Joann Formosa
| image = 120512 - Joann Formosa equestrian - 3a - 2012 action photo.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Formosa on the field in 2012
| birth_name =
| fullname =
| nickname =
| nationality = Australian
| residence =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|2|19|df=yes}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height =
| weight =
| website =
| country = Australia
| sport = Equestrian
| event =
| collegeteam =
| club =
| team =
| turnedpro =
| coach =
| retired =
| coaching =
| worlds =
| regionals =
| nationals =
| olympics =
| paralympics =
| highestranking =
| pb =
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport |Equestrian}}
{{MedalCompetition|Paralympic Games}}
{{MedalGold | 2012 London | Mixed Dressage - Championship grade Ib}}
}}
Joann Formosa, {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (born 19 February 1961) is an Australian Para-equestrian, who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics.
Personal
Joann Helen Formosa was born on 19 February 1961,{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/team/joann-formosa |title=Joann Formosa |publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |location=Australia |year=2012 |access-date=13 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712100256/https://www.paralympic.org.au/team/joann-formosa |archive-date=12 July 2012 }} and is from Broadford in central Victoria.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2012/s3541874.htm?site=goulburnmurray |title=Riding high for the Paralympics|work=Bush Telegraph|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|first=Libby|last=Price|date=9 July 2012 |access-date=25 July 2012}} She attended university, where she studied art.
Formosa has spinal cord and nerve damage, caused by an accident following an attempt to open a gate while she was riding a horse. She can walk with the aid of crutches,{{cite web|author=Iain Hyndman |url=http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/news/worldwide-lands-london-spot/1455867/ |title=Worldwide lands London spot |publisher=Wanganui Chronicle |date=17 July 2012 |access-date=25 July 2012}} though she is not self-sufficient, and requires assistance from nursing staff at Mitchell Community Health Services. She has severe allergies to substances including horse feed and hay.{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/sport/battler-downs-champion-to-take-gold-20120902-258fz.html|title=Battler downs champion to take gold|work=The Age|date=3 September 2012|first=Stathi|last=Paxinos|access-date=19 October 2012}}
Equestrian
Formosa started competing in equestrian in 1980. Before her accident, she competed in dressage and show jumping events.{{cite web|url=http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2012/06/21/497581_horses.html |title=Horses Formosa off to London |publisher=Weekly Times Now |date=21 June 2012 |access-date=25 July 2012}} She helped found Kilmore Adult Riding Club, the first adult pony club in her region.
File:010912 - Joann Formosa - 3b - 2012 Summer Paralympics (01).jpg
File:010912 - Joann Formosa - 3b - 2012 Summer Paralympics (02).jpg
Formosa is a Grade 1B equestrian dressage competitor. As a competitor in this class, she is required to perform a "dressage test involving medium to collected walk, a quarter walk pirouette and a long rein walk, as well as working trot and lengthening in the trot." She competes without stirrups as she does not have enough leg control to justify them. She has been coached by Manuela McLeans since 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.aebc.com.au/joannformosa|title=Joann Formosa|publisher=Australian Equine Behaviour Centre|access-date=25 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328163630/http://www.aebc.com.au/joannformosa|archive-date=28 March 2013|url-status=dead}} She is a member of Riding for the Disabled Victoria,{{cite web|last=Burin |first=Margaret |url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2012/07/16/3546514.htm |title=Mini Olympics puts spotlight on Paralympics potential |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=16 July 2012 |access-date=25 July 2012}} and is based at the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre at Clonbinane.
{{As of|2012}}, she has a scholarship with the Victorian Institute of Sport.{{cite web |url=http://www.vicsport.asn.au/News.aspx?ID=131 |title=Victorian Athletes Selected for London Olympics and Paralympics |publisher=VicSport |access-date=25 July 2012 |archive-date=22 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022084149/http://www.vicsport.asn.au/News.aspx?ID=131 |url-status=dead }}
At the 2006 Victorian State Dressage Championships, Formosa finished first in the Grade 1B event while riding Greenhill Chromes Reflection.{{cite news|access-date=25 July 2012|title=Crowning glory for RDA riders|newspaper=The Weekly Times|location=Melbourne, Australia|date=20 September 2006|first=Fran|last=Cleland|page=62|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AUNB:AWTB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1144071A58B1D2B8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=1053B823C33F21F9}} She competed in the 2006 World Equestrian Games, where she made her national team debut and competed in her first competition outside Australia. After returning from this competition, Formosa had an accident while riding her horse. She was a member of Australia's 2009 National High Performance Squad.{{cite web|author=Fran Cleland |url=http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2009/05/25/79525_horses.html |title=Horses Battams to lead Para squads |work=Weekly Times|date=25 May 2009 |access-date=25 July 2012}} In 2009, she competed in the Australian Masters Game.{{cite news|page=55|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AUNB:VICB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1144071A58B1D2B8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=1053B823C33F21F9|access-date=25 July 2012|title=12th AUSTRALIAN MASTERS GAMES|newspaper=Geelong Advertiser|location=Australia|date=21 February 2009}} She finished first in the 2011 National Championship in the Grade 1B category.{{cite web|url=http://www.aet.equestrian.org.au/?ID=29414 |title=Joann Formosa |publisher=Equestrian Australia|access-date=25 July 2012}} At the Victorian-hosted 2011 Oceania Championships, she won two gold medals. At the 2012 London Paralympics, she won a gold medal in the Mixed Dressage - Championship grade Ib event.{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/joann-formosa |title=Joann Formosa |website=Paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee |access-date=19 October 2012}} She qualified on Worldwide PB, a "former Wanganui-owned Hanoverian stallion" that she acquired in December 2011.
Recognition
In November 2013, Formosa was awarded the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) Against All Odds award.{{cite web|title=Australia's Joann Formosa honoured at FEI Awards Gala|url=http://www.paralympic.org/news/australia-s-joann-formosa-honoured-fei-awards-gala?skin=normal|work=International Paralympic Committee News|date=13 November 2013|access-date=19 November 2013}} She was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2014 Australia Day Honours "for service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."{{cite news |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/australia-day-honours-list-2014-in-full/story-fni0cx12-1226808786064|title=Australia Day honours list 2014: in full |date=26 January 2014 |access-date=26 January 2014}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{2012 Australian Paralympic Team}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Sports}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Formosa, Joann}}
Category:Paralympic equestrians for Australia
Category:Australian female equestrians
Category:Equestrians at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Australia
Category:Victorian Institute of Sport alumni
Category:Sportswomen from Victoria (state)
Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
Category:Paralympic medalists in equestrian