’Incredibly proud’: Mother over the moon as son represents Australia at Paris Olympics

A Mareeba born horse rider will represent Australia in the 2024 Paris Olympics for Equestrian which showed his resilience and determination according to his mother.

Mareeba's Kevin McNab will represent Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics for Equestrian. Picture: Cynthia McNab

A Mareeba born horse rider will represent Australia in the 2024 Paris Olympics for Equestrian which showed his resilience and determination according to his mother.

Kevin McNab arrived in Paris chasing an Olympic Gold Medal and wanting to do Australia and Far North Queensland proud.

His mother Cynthia said with what he has been through, it was a credit to the person he is.

“I am not sure if you are aware but he was charged and under investigation on using drugs on his horses,” McNab said.

“Unfortunately you are guilty until proven innocent, so he was out of the sport for about nine months proving he was innocent.

“The drugs they were using, 10 out of the 12 samples tested positive but the drug is used among all the horses.

Mareeba's Kevin McNab will represent Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics for Equestrian. Picture: Cynthia McNab

“So there was plenty of riders and trainers out there worried about it because they knew they used it.

“It isn’t an illegal drug but the samples were faulty and in the end he was proved innocent.”

Kevin McNab made up for the lost time, putting his effort back into chasing his Olympic dream.

The 46-year-old who now lives in England, made the Olympic team for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

His mother recalled the moment she found out he was going to Paris.

“Well I got a phone call from him and his family and he said that he had a secret to tell me,” Cynthia said.

“I thought ‘oh my god, Emma is pregnant’ and Kevin said to Annabelle (daughter) to tell me what the secret is.

“She said ‘nanna, daddy is going to the Olympics again’.

“Emma laughed and said it sounds like he goes to it everyday.

“They told me there will be no more kids, which as the nan I was a little sad for it but I am super proud of him and them.

“I don’t think I could really put into words how proud of Kevin I truly am, I think he knows it.”

Kevin has been riding horses since he was just 2-years-old.

“We put him on this horse one day and then the rider said he needed the horse for the show and Kevin was so upset,” McNab said.

“Couldn’t stop him from crying but then one of our friends from the club said they had a horse that he could have.

“And from there he just never looked back.

“He fell in love with the sport, riding horses, one of his first horses was Patches and he was an Australian Pony.

“He loved that horse, then as he got older, he got bigger and had to move up from Patches to other horses.”

I am excited to see what he can do in Paris, I will definitely be keeping a close eye on how he goes.

Originally published as ’Incredibly proud’: Mother over the moon as son represents Australia at Paris Olympics