Zoë Vorenas
Zoe Vorenas is a Dressage rider from Melbourne, Victoria, who began riding at the age of 3. Coming from a non-horsey family, she spent many years learning to ride at various equestrian centres in the Yarra Valley. Many of Zoe’s earlier riding years were spent playing games, showjumping and competing in local Gymkhana events on borrowed horses, all whilst begging her parents to purchase one of her own. She turned to dressage around 11 years of age, having discovered a new found love for the precision of the sport, and perhaps an outlet and focus for her perfectionist tendencies!
At the age of 14, Zoe finally owned a horse of her very own; Moo. Moodanz was a big, quirky warmblood who Zoe described as being the horse version of “Clifford the Big Red Dog”. He was even the same colour! With Moo, Zoe began her dressage career, competing in EA dressage competitions, often representing her school in local Interschool events. All the while, Zoe managed living with her single father, being a dedicated high school student and holding a part time job to help with the expenses that horses bring with them! With the help of her coaches, she trained Moo through from Prelim to Prix St. George level.
In March of 2014, at the beginning of Year 12, Zoe became horribly unwell one morning. By the early evening, she was rushed into emergency at Epworth in Richmond, where she was found to be severely dehydrated and suffering from vertigo and nausea. After her discharge in the early hours of the morning, she spent the next 3 days resting at home and trying to get through the potential viral infection they diagnosed her with. Three days later, however, Zoe woke up to some terrifying new symptoms, including total right sided numbness down her face and body, altered sensations and pins and needles in her feet, which she described as “static”. Another trip to emergency lead to another discharge, having been told it may just be a part of the virus and she needed to rest. Two days later, however, Zoe’s condition deteriorated. She woke in the morning to another round of severe vertigo, a horrific headache, vomiting and blurred vision. By the time she made it to emergency, she had lost her ability to walk, and was struggling to hold her chin up from her chest.
After having an MRI and meeting with a neurologist, Zoe was diagnosed with a rare condition called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis – or ADEM for short. This left her with symptoms such as total right-sided numbness, muscle weakness, tremors, vertigo, migraines, speech difficulties, lack of proprioception skills and also left her unable to walk. She spent 4 weeks on the neurology ward undergoing steroid treatment daily in an attempt to reduce and control symptoms and the swelling on her brain, caused by the lesions from the ADEM.
Being in her final year of VCE, she was determined to get back to “normal” life and most importantly, back in the saddle. Zoe made several returns to schooling, after an extended period in the neurology ward at the Epworth, as well as some time in the inpatient rehabilitation. However, she suffered several relapses, generally only a few days apart, which ended up in another inpatient stay in hospital. Alas, it was not meant to be. In May of 2014, after a few months of continuous relapses in her condition and a progression of disability, Zoe’s team of neurologists diagnosed me with an aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis after confirming the diagnosis with a lumbar puncture.
Zoe’s condition continued to progress rapidly, and the decision was made to start an aggressive treatment in the hopes of slowing or halting the advancement of her disability. Whilst inpatient, Zoe and her friends and family decided to participate in the MS Fun Run and Walk for 2014. In just two short weeks, they raised over $20,000 for MS research, and the hospital granted Zoe day leave so she could attend the walk. Every year since then, Zoe and her support team have participated and fundraised for the MS Walk.
Now named on National High Performance Squad, Victorian High Performance Squad and a VIS Scholarship Athlete, Zoe runs a successful business coaching, training horses and campaigning clients horses.
· 2016 Boneo Spring CDI Highest Scoring Para Equestrian
· 2017 National Grade IV Reserve Champion
· 2018 Victorian State Squad Member
· 2018 Australian National Next Squad Member
· 2019 Sydney CPEDI Grade IV Champion
· 2019 Dressage Festival Grade IV Champion
· 2019 Australian National High Performance Green Squad (Podium Potential)
· 2019 Victorian State High Performance Squad
· 2019 FEI Highest Ranked Para Equestrian Rider
· 2019 FEI Ranking for Grade IV Worldwide: 5th
· 2020 Named on Equestrian Australia’s Tokyo Paralympic Short List
· 2022 Australian National Grade IV Champion