Tracey Mitchell comes from a family of horse lovers and equestrian athletes. Growing up near London, Ontario, she rode dressage, competed and managed her own barn. After enrolling at the D’Arcy Lane Institute in the its equine massage therapy program, she followed a career as an REMT for more than 23 years. Wanting to build on her love of personal development and deeper connections, Tracey became an accredited life coach and launched Equestrian Elements Life Coaching two years ago. In order to reach out to even more people and foster a sense of community within the horse world, Hitting Your Stride, Tracey’s podcast for equestrians of all stripes, was born.
In this special episode of Hitting Your Stride, Tracey Mitchell chats with Canadian dressage legend Christilot Boylen about her amazing career and insights.
Six-time Olympian and three-time Pan Am gold medalist Boylen shares her lifetime of experiences, from learning how to train in the most foreign of circumstances, how to get the message across to students who aren’t sure of their footing, and how goal-setting never goes away.
Christilot opens up to Tracey about the influences she’s had in her life, starting with her mother’s get-it-done attitude upon arriving in Canada in 1951 and ranging to the different coaches she learned from and is still influenced by to this day. One of her most important lessons comes in the form of advice for young riders needing to learn how to dance so they understand the concepts of rhythm and beat. Another she borrows from a fellow Canadian icon, Ian Millar, about always being on the lookout for learning opportunities.
Showing the singular focus it takes to be a world-class athlete, Christilot talks about her ability to shut out the outside world when she needed to most, but also opens up about the need to develop yourself as a more complete person and take the time to be joyous and celebrate many aspects of life. You need to learn what you really enjoy in life, especially outside of the ring, to truly enjoy life inside of it.
Even as her competitive riding days are winding down, Canada’s First Lady of Dressage still has a lot she wants to get done. She talks about Canada’s place among the best equestrian nations in the world, how she still enjoys shaping the future of horses, riders and those who coach them ‒ and just as important, taking time to appreciate the finer things in life. Have a listen here:
