Joann Formosa Pays a Visit to Members of WA's Equestrian Community

EA member Melody Semmler of WA recently won a national small-business competition for which she was awarded a visit from Paralympic Games gold medallist Joann Formosa.

The sweet smells of hay and sporting success were in the air at the West Australian Equestrian Centre at Brigadoon when Melody’s award-winning small business Magic Browbands hosted Joann who addressed local equestrian enthusiasts.

Melody Semmler was the WA winner of the Telstra Business “Go For Business Gold” competition, a nation-wide search to find outstanding motivators among the two-million of the country’s small to medium-sized businesses.

Entrants had to show how they excelled at motivating staff, themselves or their customers with finalists from across the nation gathering for a business master class in Sydney

As a result of her success at the finals, Melody, whose business makes accessories and attire for show horses and their riders, won a visit from Joann, a gold medal winner in dressage at the London Paralympic Games.

“Joann is such an inspiration and I invited 120 people from the WA equestrian community to come and hear her speak about her experiences,” Melody said.

“The Paralympics were an unforgettable experience,” Joann said. “Inspiring people by sharing that at an event like the one that Magic Browbands arranged was a pleasure.”

Melody Semmler said, “Telstra Business Go For Business Gold was a fantastic way for small businesses like mine to get into the spirit of the Games but also allowed me to learn so much along the way.”