Mary Hadsall walked through the gates of Camelot to gain information about starting her own therapeutic horsemanship program; instead, she found her destiny. Within an hour of leaving, she returned with a fully completed application for our internship program. Within a year she was Camelot’s barn manger, within two years she was our director of riding instruction. Today, she is our executive director, trotting with us into the bright beautiful future of Camelot.

Mary is a certified riding instructor through North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). Her horse career spans nearly forty years. As an avid dressage enthusiast, she is intrigued with the horse/human connection and shares this love of equus with Camelot's students. "Camelot is a place of dreams and empowerment," says Hadsall, "our horses teach our riders to reach for the moon, nothing is impossible!" In addition to teaching at Camelot and riding her horse Cliffy, Mary also enjoys photography, hot air ballooning, golf, and especially, being a mom.

Prior to Mary’s work at Camelot, she was as an instructor at the National Ability Center, a nonprofit organization in Park City, Utah that offers a variety of outdoor activities for people with disabilities. She also worked for several years in the mortgage business, which has equipped her with the tools to handle the financial aspects of running our organization.

Mary brings an enormous array of gifts and talents to Camelot, including dedication, drive, sensitivity and proven leadership skills. Her passion for the ideals of Camelot is evident in the work that she does and the lessons she teaches. One of her favorite sayings is, "the speed of the team, is the speed of the leader!"

Michelle is a therapeutic riding instructor, certified through the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). She has always had a love and admiration for horses and has been a student of dressage for many years. She has had several excellent riding instructors throughout her life, but her best teachers are right here at Camelot. "The students and horses at Camelot have taught me more about spirit, strength and communication than almost anyone, " said Harrison. "I hope I can teach our students as much as they teach me."

Michelle is a graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in communications. She has been with Camelot since 1999. When she's not working at Camelot, she enjoys helping her sister with the family business, Capello Marketing & Communications. She also aspires to be a published children’s book author. Her two children, as well as the many horse dreams that wiz around the Camelot barn, are her source of inspiration. Through words, she enjoys reminding people of the power of imagination.

" You must do the thing you think you cannot do. " Eleanor Roosevelt

Robin first became interested in Camelot when a friend, who participates in a similar program overseas, directed her to the website. Beginning as a volunteer, her role eventually evolved into her current staff position. With a lifelong love of horses and a background in both education and banking, Robin is well suited to be a member of Camelot’s royal family.

Robin attended Humboldt State University and California State University Los Angeles graduating in 1975 with highest honors and a BA in Liberal Studies. She continued on to graduate school and earned both a standard elementary credential and special education credential in 1976. After several years of teaching for Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, she changed tracks entirely and became a consumer credit loan officer for First Interstate Bank. Married for 26 years, she’s working part-time for her husband’s Los Angeles based consulting firm.

In her spare time, Robin likes to ride her 15-year-old Paint horse, Gizmo, play with her two Bouviers, Kirby and Kosmo, and play Mah Jongg. Robin sums up everything equine as an almost visceral response for a true horse lover. "There’s something about the smell of horses and a barn that’s so enlivening, invigorating and renewing." We all know exactly what she means!

Amy is the newest member of the Camelot team and her information will be posted soon. Welcome to Camelot Amy!

When Eileen Szychowski brought Camelot to Arizona in 1982, she had $100.00, two mares named Guinevere and Jankik, and a precious goose named Zanadu. Today Camelot has grown to be a privately funded, state-of-the-art, non-profit organization located on 14.5 acres in North Scottsdale.

Szychowski, a horsewoman with a disability, spent seven years studying under Josef Rivers, a polio survivor himself and founder of Dragon Slayers in California. During her time there, she also worked as a full-time program director for the Santa Cruz Skills Center, then became a park ranger at the Grand Canyon. She discovered she could live the life she dreamed, and under Rivers' encouragement, dared to dream big.

Along the way, Szychowski has received support and encouragement from friends and fans all over the country. As time goes on, many former students continue to participate in the dream, with donations of time and money. Eileen retired in November of 2004, but continues to guide the staff at Camelot through the knowledge and teachings she has shared with them over the years. Thanks to these combined efforts, Camelot exists today as living proof that dreams can come true.

We believe dreams are essential to life and right to risk belongs to us all.

We commit ourselves to slaying the dragons of doubt in ourselves and others.

We believe the world is changed one life at a time.

We dedicate ourselves to a program designed for the individual, Wherein quality will always be placed before quantity.

We believe persons with disabilities should be in control of their own lives.

We pledge ourselves to a program where disabled people govern themselves and a learning model based on mentorship.

We believe freedom and dignity are priceless; success can only be kept when given away.

We commit ourselves to Camelot, which will always be free of charge other than the commitment to become a contributor to our community.

We believe life is a Round Table wherein each member is both student and teacher.

We pledge to build in each other the knightly virtues of Courage, Loyalty, Compassion, Honor, Justice, Generosity and Faith.

We believe in the philosophy of Camelot, which calls on each of us to rise to our highest good.

We embrace the Quest and dedicate ourselves to quality life with programs that offer opportunities to dream, to risk, to love and to serve.