In 2012 Katariina was riding in a 12 horse field in Perth one weekend and was coming second when the unthinkable happened.

Just as victory was in her sights she fell, the 10 horses behind Katariina racing over the top of her. 

A bleed to the brain, laceration in her kidney and broken neck topped her list of injuries and the jockey was rushed to hospital and admitted to intensive care.

“They rang up my father (in Finland) when it happened and said, ‘If you want to see your daughter alive jump on a plane’,” she said.

“They took me to hospital which is an hour from Perth...they had to put me in a helicopter and fly me low because otherwise if you go higher the pressure is not good for the bleeding.

“They flew me because they didn't think I’d make it alive in an ambulance.”

Miraculously Katariina’s condition began to improve and after one week in intensive care she began seven weeks of rehabilitation in hospital.

While she was able to walk and talk again, her memory has never recovered.

“They were worried about me walking in front of cars and things because it was in my memory part, my memory was shot,” Katariina said.

“It happened on a Thursday and the first thing I remember before it was Monday morning. I forgot three days before and two weeks after I can’t remember anything.” 

Her father, who drives taxis in her home country of Finland, tried convincing his daughter to stop riding and help him with their business.

But do you think she listened?

“You know how dangerous it is, you know how many accidents there is...and I had one of my horses a couple of months ago, he broke his shoulder but it was lucky he never went down,” she said.

“It’s just something that you love and it’s funny, any other jockey that I know they will get injured, they can not wait to get back on.” 

Jockeys were desperately needed at the Quilpie Centenary Cup on Saturday and Katariina was called on Friday 11am in Mackay to fill three rides 24 hours later.

“I work in a restaurant so I called up the restaurant and said I won’t be coming into work on the weekend and jumped in a car and drove to Roma and stayed over night there and drove again,” she said.

“The track is beautiful.”