By Jill Wojciechowski

Photo by Brandon Jennings, Dallas, Texas
Dedicated volunteer - Carol Chamberlin found her 'second home' when she began volunteering at Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship Center in Wylie, Texas. The winner of the 2008 Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship Award, Chamberlin spends between 20 and 30 hours volunteering each week.

Carol Chamberlin might not have realized it at the time, but a few simple words uttered in a horse barn more than a decade ago are forever etched in the memory of one of America's top-ranked Para-Equestrian riders.

Deb Lewin had never been on a horse prior to her visit to the Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship Center in Wylie, Texas. That's where Chamberlin – after a day's work at Rockwell Collins in nearby Richardson – spends between 20 and 30 hours volunteering each week.

A former international able-bodied athlete from Africa, Lewin was still trying to cope with the long-term effects of a tragic accident that left her confined to a wheelchair, when she first met Chamberlin and the quarter horse affectionately referred to as "Mrs. Butterworth."

With her left side paralyzed, and her vision and hearing severely impaired, Lewin was entirely dependent upon her caretakers. It's no wonder that the 37-year-old was apprehensive about making her way into the saddle.

With her heart pounding and her eyes filled with a combination of fear and excitement, Lewin sat cautiously atop the horse. She then looked down and directly into Chamberlin's comforting eyes.

"This is my first time," said Lewin, who relocated from her native country of Zimbabwe to the United States in the late 1980s. "I once rode a camel, but never a horse."

"Don't worry, this isn't my first time," responded Chamberlin, the 2008 Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship Award winner. And, the rest is history.

"I'll never, ever forget those words and the look on her face," said Lewin, now a National Para-Equestrian champion and motivational speaker. "She was so calm, cool and collected, and I was shaking like a leaf.

"Carol was so instrumental in encouraging me to enjoy the ride, and in helping me overcome the fears that I had," continued Lewin, now 49. "She encouraged me to be independent, and she has a heart the size of Texas."

The instant bond formed between Lewin and Chamberlin illustrates the way in which volunteerism – in this case with the help of a well-mannered horse – can touch lives.

"It's just amazing when you see somebody come in who can't walk or talk, and they take their first few steps because the horse has helped them gain their balance or they utter their first few words," said Chamberlin. "When someone who feels they have nothing to smile about bursts out laughing after they get on a horse – it's just incredible."

A love for horses
Raised on a 1,500-acre cattle ranch in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon, Chamberlin's love for horses began at an early age. She and her siblings spent a lot of time on the ranch "riding the fences" and rounding up cattle.

Following high school graduation, Chamberlin enrolled at the University of Oregon, and later enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. She eventually found herself stationed in England, near the famous Newmarket Racecourse – the historical home and current powerhouse of British horseracing.

"I used to go over to Newmarket just to be closer to the horses," admitted Chamberlin. "The touch of a horse is just unexplainable – the warmth and comfort they provide is amazing."

Eventually, Chamberlin found herself in Texas, where she and her husband, Allen, settled on a 12-acre ranch in rural Collin County outside the small town of Nevada. There, she stables and cares for six horses – five of which she adopted from Equest – and is awaiting the arrival in early August of another horse currently being trained for trail riding.

While finishing her associate degree at Richland College in Dallas in the early 1990s, Chamberlin decided to heed the advice of one of her instructors and began searching for a non-profit organization where she could spend about 20 hours volunteering each week.

Ironically, Equest was one of hundreds on the list and, before long, Chamberlin had found what she describes as her second home.

A valuable asset
The oldest and one of the largest non-profit therapeutic riding centers in Texas, Equest provides therapeutic sports riding classes and hippo-therapy – treatment using the movement of a horse – to help more than 200 students each week.

One of about 1,000 volunteers who help keep the center going strong, Chamberlin began her volunteer work in 1992. She has since been recognized as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) Regional Volunteer of the Year and has trained and mentored thousands.

"The rewards you receive as a volunteer are wonderful," said Chamberlin, who also serves as an announcer for the Special Olympic Equestrian Games and the North Texas Hunter Jumper Club Show. "Knowing that you're doing something that's changing someone's life forever and that the contribution you're making is enhancing their life … that's priceless."

According to Ellie Grant, director of Volunteer Services at Equest, Chamberlin's experience and wisdom, combined with her love of the horses, are what make her such a valuable asset.

"She has a unique way of seeing the talent and potential in people and the ability to deal with them using humor and encouragement," said Grant, who was actually trained and mentored by Chamberlin about 10 years ago. "She invests a lot of time and energy in helping people, and she has never shied away from her commitment to our organization.

"Our clients at Equest are naturally drawn to Carol," continued Grant. "She inspires confidence in them when they didn't even know they had it, and she never gives up."