Dame Catriona Ruth Williams is a New Zealand equestrian and

tetraplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or ...

. Williams set up the Catwalk Spinal Injury Trust to raise funds for research into spinal injury.

Equestrian achievements

Williams grew up on a farm in

Martinborough Martinborough ( or ) is a town in the South Wairarapa District, in the Wellington region of New Zealand. It is 65 kilometres east of Wellington and 35 kilometres south-west of Masterton. The town has a resident population of The town is home ...

. She competed in eventing and showjumping in New Zealand and overseas. She was twice winner of the Pony Jumper of the Year, and twice winner of the Showjumping Rider with the Most Points at the Horse of the Year Show. She was placed 15th in the Open Europeans at Burghley and 15th at

Saumur Saumur () is a Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgu ...

and

Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...

the same year. She represented New Zealand in the World Cup Showjumping Final in Sweden in 1999, placing 38th.

Catwalk Spinal Injury Trust

Williams suffered a spinal injury in a fall while riding in the horse trials at

Kihikihi Kihikihi, a small town located in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, serves as a satellite community of Te Awamutu, five kilometres to the north, and lies 35 kilometres south of Hamilton. The estimated population was ''Kihi ...

on 10 November 2002. The fall left her tetraplegic, with limited use of her hands and arms. After her injury, Williams set up the Catwalk Spinal Injury Trust to raise funds for research into spinal injury. The trust gave a large grant to found the Spinal Cord Research Facility at the University of Auckland, led by Louise Nicholson, Simon Carroll and Colin Green. The trust also funds project grants. Williams undertakes sporting events to raise funds for spinal research and awareness of spinal injuries. She completed the New York marathon, cycled to Mount Everest base camp, and in 2024 cycled from Scotland to London. By 2019 she had raised $10 million for the Catwalk Trust.

Honours and awards

In 2010 Williams was awarded a Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award. In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours Williams was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to spinal cord injury research. In 2016 Williams was winner of the Community Hero section of the

New Zealand Women of Influence Awards The New Zealand Women of Influence Awards are an annual set of awards which recognise women who make a difference to everyday New Zealanders' lives. The Awards were first made in 2013 and were initially sponsored by Westpac Bank. In 2016, Stuff NZ ...

. She has twice been nominated for

New Zealander of the Year Awards The New Zealander of the Year Awards, currently known as the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, celebrate the achievements of New Zealanders and were founded in 2010 by Australian Jeffrey Hopp, Jeffrey John Hopp. Nominations are accepted ...

, in 2011 and again in 2014. Williams was added to the NRM Horse of the Year Show Hall of Fame in 2014, and the

Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame The Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame is a figurative hall of fame dedicated to New Zealand equestrian riders, horses, officials, volunteers and others from the wider equestrian world who have achieved at the highest level. The hall was ...

in 2023. In the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours, Williams was promoted to

Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ...

, for services to spinal cord injury research and equestrian sport.

References

External links

*
My Story – Catriona Williams
', CatWalk Founder, 10 March 2023, via YouTube *
Catriona Williams – Finalist, Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2014
', 20 January 2014, via YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Catriona New Zealand equestrians People from Martinborough New Zealand disabled sportspeople Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit New Zealand female equestrians Living people