Samantha Lam, horse rider, thinks team spirit, respect and care are essential in sport
Samantha Lam is a Canadian-born horse rider who was invited by the IOC to act as an Athlete Role Model during the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing.
When touring the Culture and Education Programme activities Samantha visited the fair play pavilion too. She talked about the spirit of sportsmanship concerning the relation between human beings and horses.
“The relation between the rider and the horse is a special one. The rider has to show great respect for the animal. They can emerge victorious only together and the rider should take care of the horse’s health. I have been the team captain for Hong Kong’s show jumping team. It has happened to me a number of times that I had to withdraw my horse due to injury. Even if it was a major event, I decided against forcing the animal to compete. It is also important that there is team spirit among the riders. They should understand each other’s decision while considering their common goal. fair play is key to achieving great performance. Sportsmanship must be exhibited towards both animals and human beings on and off the field.”
Take me back to Fair Play at the Youth Olympic Games.
Learn more about fair play at the International Fair Play Committee’s website.
