•    Grade IV Para-Dressage. Lise received her international grade certification during WEG in 2010.
•    Hometown: Baker City, OR
•    Born: March 29, 1964
•    Lise suffers from a rare autoimmune motor neuron disorder that caused nerve damage, particularly in her hands and arms, and ataxia, a movement disorder.  Her disability also affects her speech, swallowing, coordination, and strength.  She was initially diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, but that diagnosis fortunately changed.  Lise continues to advocate for ALS awareness and funding to find a cure for those with ALS.
•    Lise qualified in eventing for Radnor in her late teens aboard Quincy Market, an appendix Quarter Horse.  She competed successfully as a preliminary event rider, earned an HA Pony Club rating, rode at Flying Horse and UMass Amherst, and trained in New England with Sarah Carlson-Geikie, Sara Montgomery, Read Perkins, and attended clinics with Sally Swift, Linda Tellington- Jones, and at GMHA.
•    Lise dreamed of the Olympics; meanwhile, she completed law school, married, adopted three children from Haiti, and was elected to be a public servant. Lise serves the people of Baker County Oregon as Justice of the Peace.
•    After her diagnosis, Lise chose to view it as a “second chance” to compete to represent the USA.  Lise’s goal is the 2012 or 2016 Olympics.
•    Long time para-equestrian advocate, and former para-dressage judge, Libby Anderson, and Grand Prix rider and dressage judge Jules Anderson of Teamworkdressage in Jupiter Farms, Florida, coach Lise and train FEI Grand Prix horse Brendan Braveheart for Lise to ride and compete.  Jules and Libby Anderson gave Lise Brendan Braveheart March 17, 2011.
•    Jenny Mix and the Mix Family of Reno, Nevada, gave Lise Tailor Made, a grey Anglo-Trakehner . Tailor Made was trained and competed by Crystal Kroetch in Canada through Prix St. George.
•    “My disability made me realize that I really am a “luckiest woman” to paraphrase Lou Gehrig.  Some people think my disability is a bad break, but I see all the blessings, the great kindness, the wonderful people in my life.  Going through the experience of planning for ALS, only to find out I don’t, made me acutely aware of the needs of ALS patients;  I plan to continue to advocate for them, and raise awareness for ALS whenever and however possible,” says Lise.  “I can’t thank Libby and Jules Anderson, Jenny Mix, my family, Dr. Kim Goslin or the horses enough!  They make all the difference in my learning to live with my disability and gave me hope when there seemed to be none.”
•    For more information, please visit Lise on Facebook or at www.LiseYervasi.com