Meet Salim Ejnaini, a 24-year-old French rider who started losing his eyesight when he was 6 months old due to a degenerative disease. Salim started riding at age 12, and while he lost his eyesight completely at 16, he was determined to keep riding. He teamed up with trainer Tiffany Margueritat and has been competing in show jumping ever since.
Salim uses callers who stand in the arena and direct him where to go with his horse Rapsody, who Salim says is proof of “what is really possible when you deeply trust your horse, even if you’re a blind man.”
The organizers of the Longines Masters of Paris invited Salim to give a demonstration last year, which he said was his “very best memory in competition.” His longtime trainer Tiffany stood in the ring calling out directions, along with Salim’s mentor and fellow show jumping rider Guillaume Canet and Rio Olympic team gold medalist Philippe Rozier.
This video is nothing short of inspiring. Cheers to Salim and all those who fight for their dreams, even when the odds seemed stacked against them.