Paris 2024 Olympics – Boyd Martin returns to the Olympic stage, ready to deliver emotional tribute

Published 07/26/2024

26 July 2024 – Paris, France

By Chloe Merrell and Olympics.com

Picture by ©LibbyLawPhotography

Boyd Martin slowly lowers himself into the ice bath.

The cold of the water bites at his body as he sinks in. A feeling of breathlessness takes over. He tries not to fight the panic—deep, slow breaths.

The countdown has begun: three minutes.

Outside, the sun is just beginning to rise. It’s a welcome sight after over an hour of physio and stretching. It’s also a reminder of the long day ahead.

After his artic plunge, the next 11 hours will be entirely devoted to the horses. Liaising with his groom, training, and conditioning: it will all need to be done and Martin is entirely willing, but at 44 years old his body needs a bit more persuading. The 22 surgeries, 19 broken bones, five plates, two screws and a metal rod he has amassed over the years eventing have taken their toll. Still, he’s prepared to be patient. And so the icy torture continues.

If it sounds excruciating, it is and yet for Martin, it’s a must.

“When you go to the Olympics, by far the oldest people there are the equestrians. It’s unusual to make it to the Olympics before the age of 40, and a lot of them are in their late 50s, you know, even 60s. So, the biggest thing is to keep your body going,” Martin explains candidly on a video link from his training facility, Windurra USA, in Pennsylvania.

“As you get older, you get stiffer and sore and then that’s sort of impacting your balance and your reaction because a lot of it is balance and core strength on the horse.”

Read the whole story here at Olympics.com.

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