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The Red & Black | Tuesday, December 5, 2006 | 7
Passion turned to skill for equestrian member
Bonau spoils
her horses
By JESSICA LUTON
jluton@randb.com
Kelly Bonau spends her
time outside of class doing
endurance training, cleaning
out horse stables and riding
horses — working on her form
as well as controlling a horse’s
every movement.
Bonau’s love of riding led
her to try out for the equestri
an team when she arrived on
campus.
After successfully making
it onto the team to compete
as an English equitation rider,
she has consistently worked
to improve her skills.
In an October win over
South Carolina, Bonau
earned the first MVP award of
her riding career at Georgia.
“We all rode really well so
it was really an honor to
receive the MVP award,”
Bonau said.
Bonau’s love of horses is a
family affair.
Her father gave her moth
er a horse for her 40th birth
day, and upon first introduc
tion to the horse, Kelly took
an avid interest in the animal
and wanted one herself.
Bonau’s mother, hoping to
discourage her, told her she
would first have to go to a
horseback riding camp in
order to see if she truly had
an interest.
“It just encouraged her,
and it became a passion for
her,” Debbie Bonau said.
MARATHON:
Professor
practices
to stay fit
>- From Page 1
with his political research.
“I am moderately proud of
it,” van der Veen said.
Van der Veen started run
ning seriously when in gradu
ate school at Harvard, where
he earned his doctoral degree
in political science.
Although he sometimes
participates in five-kilometer
races, van der Veen said
marathons are mentally easi
er for him to run.
“It does sound a little
counterintuitive, I know,” he
said.
Van der Veen said he runs
almost every day, often at
Southeast Clarke Park.
There, he does a couple of cir
cles on the 2.5 mile loop.
On some evenings he can
be found training at Spec
Towns Track off Lumpkin
Street. In all, van der Veen
estimated he runs about 100
miles a week.
“A normal easy run is 12
miles. Then I have a long run
on Sunday which ups the
average,” van der Veen said.
“I have run for almost 15
years, so at this point for me
to run 100 miles a week is not
tiring. It is part of my normal,
daily life.”
However, van der Veen
does not always maintain the
healthy eating habits of a
first-class athlete.
“Obviously, I don’t eat very
healthy,” he admitted as an
open Pibb Extra can sat on
his desk.
Van der Veen said that
although he is in shape, he
still feels he is not quite in the
condition he used to be in.
“I would like to get back in
the type of shape so that I am
on par with the (University)
cross country runners,” van
der Veen said.
Van der Veen said that run
ning is one the few sports he
has talent in, adding that he
is “really not coordinated
enough to do most ball
sports.”
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What started as a passion
at the age of seven has contin
ued for almost 15 years.
Bonau spent the day of her
high school prom qualifying
for the State Line
Competition, an equitation
final for juniors.
“She’s just got this pas
sion,” Debbie Bonau said.
“She’d rather ride horses than
anything else.”
When Bonau first arrived
at the University, riding on
the equestrian team was not
an immediate goal.
A little encouragement
from her mom prompted her
to try out, and she has been
competing at the collegiate
level ever since making the
team in 2004.
Since then, Bonau has
been a crucial part of the
team.
“We have a really good
chemistry as a team, and
we’re able to laugh at our own
mistakes,” teammate Logan
Fiorentino said.
Bonau’s teammates con
sider her motivated and hard
working, and she attends the
extra practice session
every week to improve her
skills.
“She’s been like this since
she was seven,” Debbie Bonau
said. “She loves her sport, and
she has that drive to work the
extra mile.”
“Kelly is fun-loving and
easy-going, but at the same
time she’s focused on what
needs to be done,” close friend
and teammate Rachel
Berkowitz said.
Bonau’s great sense of
humor also keeps her team
mates entertained.
“Kelly has a really good
ability to make people laugh
and lighten the mood,”
Fiorentino
said. “She
makes every
one laugh at
themselves,
and she helps
keep every
one’s spirits
up.”
When Kelly
began riding
horses, her
mom was
adamant that she learn to
take care of her own horse by
bathing him and cleaning the
stall.
Riding on the Georgia team
is no different than the riding
she’s done her entire career.
“In order to ride, they have
to work,” Debbie Bonau said.
“She actually enjoys it,
though.”
Caring for the horses also
allows the girls to form a bond
with the horses.
Orlando, one of Kelly’s
favorite horses at the barn, is
rumored to be fat because
Kelly spoils her with too
many treats.
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