Equestrian Show Jumper Federico Fernandez Survived a Horrific Plane Crash as a Teen

Equestrian showjumper Federico Fernandez remains an example of resilience and optimism as he continues to represent Mexico in his sport, with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris being his fourth time at the games.

After overcoming a horrific tragedy as a teen that left him severely burned and in need of numerous surgeries as well as months of rehabilitation, the accomplished athlete went on to ride again, and he remains ever grateful to this day.

In 1987, a 19-year-old Federico boarded an old cargo plane alongside fellow members of the Mexican Equestrian Federation. They were en route to Chicago along with their horses, heading to a young riders championship. But just seven minutes after takeoff, the plane made a crash-landing into rush-hour traffic on the Mexico-Toluca highway before slamming into a restaurant.

Of the 50 people on board, only three people — including Federico — survived. The only surviving horse, Pepito, actually went on to compete the following year at the Olympic Games in Seoul.

Federico's burns from the crash were so severe that he needed more than 50 surgeries on his face. He spent six months in a hospital burns unit in Texas. But a year after the tragic crash, he was back to competing.

Still, the complications from his burns had an effect on his riding, particularly when it came to competing indoors. He reflected to Horse Sport in 2020 that "[w]hen I was looking at the light that came from lamps, I couldn’t see where I was, and I’ve never competed in an indoor again. Daylight is OK and in stadium lighting (under floodlights) I see even better, but the problem is lamps. My pupils are in only one position and can’t adjust, so when I go from bright to not-so-bright then it’s like looking into a cloud."

Still, the equestrian is grateful to have survived his harrowing experience and continue to compete in the sport he loves. He said it completely changed his "scale of importance," and had him focusing "less into the superficiality of life."

“Incredible things came from it,” he said of the crash. "At this point in my life, it’s easy to say that, but if I could re-live my life I wouldn’t change it." He said that a person's spirit and determination can turn a hardship into "something good."

“Since that day I learned to not be worried about things that don’t matter, to really focus on the things you can change and not on the things you can’t, and to live every day like it’s your last," he explained. "To create a life so that you go to bed hoping the night goes fast because you really want the next day to start again. If you can make this your every day then you are a very happy person!”