Aspiring Paralympian Partners with Asmar Equestrian
Equestrian and courageous terrorist survivor Beatrice (Bea) de Lavalette has joined forces with Asmar Equestrian, becoming the newest face of the Asmar Equestrian brand. De Lavalette joins a family of 10 other Olympians and professional equestrians outfitted by the Asmar Equestrian.
De Lavalette is an inspiration. The young rider survived the Brussels Airport terrorist attacks in 2016. She was critically injured, sustaining severe injuries, burns and the loss of both lower legs, when the first of numerous bombs exploded a mere 10 feet away from her. Despite a long recovery with many months in intensive care, de Lavalette defied odds and made an incredible recovery, which she attributes in large part to the partnership with her horse DeeDee. The 17yo gray P.R.E. mare helped to lift Bea out of the dark depression she felt following the incident when she realized she could get back on a horse and ride. Four months after the bombing, de Lavalette was riding again and it became an important part of her rehabilitation as she had to regain the muscles and strength to be able to sit on her own. Today she has set her sights on the 2020 summer Paralympics in Tokyo. “I used to say as a joke, one day I’ll go to the Olympics,” said Bea. “And then the opportunity actually came up! Being able to go to the Paralympics is like, Wow!”
“I had the pleasure of meeting Bea and her mother at the recent Equine Businesswomen’s Summit and was so inspired by her story of courage and determination,” said Asmar Equestrian Founder, Noel. “Bea had already experienced the power of thoughtful clothing during her recovery in the hospital, clothing that made her feel more herself – when I learned Bea didn’t have an Equestrian clothing brand behind her, I was excited to speak with her and offer our support – dressing Bea to feel her most confident self is what drives every facet of our business and design philosophy”. Having the opportunity to work with Bea and outfit her is a real privilege. She is an impressive young lady and I hope our clothing helps her continue to feel confident and comfortable in all aspects of her life.”
Asmar, who has outfitted riders of all backgrounds and disciplines, including the Canadian Equestrian team & ParaTeam for the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio and the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, has long understood the connection between clothing and how a person feels, and it is what inspires her thoughtful, functional designs. “We’re inspired to design apparel that empowers people to feel dressed & prepared to experience life to its fullest,” said Asmar. A passion for both horses and fashion drives Asmar’s equestrian business, but empowering equestrians in their everyday lives is her calling.
Clothes have come to mean more to de Lavalette than one might realize. “I experienced first-hand the huge impact your clothes can have on your mental state” she stated. “When I was in the hospital for months, I wasn’t able to wear my own clothes. Their clothes are rough and ugly. It was horrible. But once I was able to wear real clothes, I felt like myself again. I wasn’t just a hospital person. As a rider, I’ve always admired the Asmar Equestrian styles, so I’m excited to be working with Noel and her team, that puts so much emphasis on designing high quality, functional riding clothes that riders like myself can enjoy and feel good in.”
To connect with Beatrice De Lavalette and learn more about her story visit www.beaparathlete.org.
