This week we take a look back at an interview that Chris Stafford did in 2011with Kathy Kusner.  Kathy  was born on March 21st 1940 in Gainesville Florida. She excelled as an international show jumper, jockey, pilot, scuba diver and marathon runner and is the founder of Horses in the Hood. Kathy's show career began in 1989 and while only 21 years old she was named American horse shows Association's horse woman of the year. Before joining the United States Equestrian team in 1961 as one of the first women ever selected to represent the U.S.A. in Olympic competition she rode in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo and the 1968 Games in Mexico City. Kathy played an integral part in the USA team and its silver medal victory in 1972 Munich. She also won a team gold medal at the 1963 panting American Games in Sao Paolo and a team silver medal at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg. Kathy was a two time winner of the leading international rider award at the National Horse Show and in 1967 was crowned the ladies European Champion in 1968. She became the first licensed woman jockey in the United States and led the way for women to ride races throughout the world. She was also the first woman to ride in the Maryland Hunt Cup the world's toughest timber race. Kathy volunteers her time working with inner city children in the Los Angeles area with her program horses in the hood which introduces young people to horses. She is a skilled pilot with commercial multi engine instrument and seaplane ratings and acrobatic skills. Kathy became the first woman to work as a Lear jet pilot for Executive Jet Aviation the largest jet charter company in the world. As an experienced scuba diver she has traveled the world in underwater exploration. Kathy has won numerous track and field events and road races including her division at the Colorado Pikes Peak ultra marathon three times. She has also won her division in almost every 10000 meter road race in the Los Angeles area. In 1990 Kathy was inducted into the showjumping Hall of Fame. In 2000 she was named one of the 50 most influential horsemen of the 20th century by the Chronicle of the horse and the American horse shows Association. She was also inducted into the Virginia horse shows Association Hall of Fame in 2005. She received the Pegasus Medal of Honor from the United States Equestrian Federation and was inducted into the World Sport's Humanitarian Hall of Fame.
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