THE looming 2018 Australian Special Olympics in Adelaide will see a North Maclean man doing what he loves with who he loves.
Nathan Harvey, 31, was selected to represent Team Queensland for the A level dressage competition from April 16 to April 20, with high hopes of securing some medals along the way.
The Queensland Equestrian side includes a total of 12 riders
Despite having autism and mild visual impairment, Mr Harvey has proven to be a talented horse rider.
Mr Harvey first competed in the 2014 Special Olympics in Melbourne where he won gold, silver and bronze medals in dressage, Prix Caprilli and Equitation.
Aside from his sporting achievements, Mr Harvey also met the girl of his dreams.
“There was a girl (Michelle) I met four years ago from Western Australia and we became boyfriend and girlfriend,” he said.
Nathan and Michelle often fly to see each other for a week at a time.
Nathan’s mother, Kim Harvey said the couple shared a range of common interests.
“(Michelle) said she will move to Queensland when he puts a ring on it,” she said,
“She works at Coles and is a Riding for the Disabled Association of Australia (RDA) coach.
“They will be competing A level dressage, so they will be riding against each other.”
With the Special Olympics just over two months away, Mr Harvey hopes to perform even better than he did in 2014.
“It will be quite hard because everyone is good. I want to try my hardest and win,” he said.
Mr Harvey was first introduced to dressage seven years ago when he discovered his passion for horses.
“When he is with his horses, it makes him feel like everyone else,” Ms Harvey said.
“He trained every week and rides every afternoon out the front in the dressage arenas.”
Mr Harvey garnered strong interest from a range of sponsors making his Olympic dreams a reality.
“Riding horses is an expensive sport, passion alone can’t get you through it is a big financial expense,” Ms Harvey said.
More than $2900 has already been raised for Mr Harvey’s trip to Adelaide with the goal of raising $3400 by April.
Looking to the future, Mr Harvey has ambitions to become an RDA coach to help other riders with disabilities to excel.
