2024 Remarkable Women: Christine Cronin
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CONCORD, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — There’s a beautiful 88 acres of countryside in Cabarrus County where people are working to become the best version of themselves. Christine Cronin leads the mission, giving families with special-needs children and adults the opportunity to “soar on wings like eagles.”
Christine knows firsthand how challenging caring for a child with special needs can be. Her son Brendan has cerebral palsy. Not long after moving to North Carolina years ago, a friend at church asked if she wanted to take a horse-riding lesson.
So, she gathered up her family and riding they went. They loved it. Little did they know that those lessons would change their lives forever.
“My son’s physical therapist suggested if she could use the horse for my son, and do physical therapy with my son on the horse, and so it’s like, sure!” Christine explains. “From that point on — he was 5 — and from that point on, my girlfriend who got me riding horses was like, ‘Chris, you need to start a therapeutic riding center.’ I said, ‘No I don’t… I know nothing!’ And this went on for about two years — and finally I said, ‘Okay fine!’ But take away the fear, Lord, and find us land.”
They found it in Concord, and decided to call it Wings of Eagles Ranch. But it didn’t always look like the sprawling equestrian center it is today. Through generous grants and donations, it’s been a 27-year-long work in progress, adding new structures, activities — and horses, of course.
Horses can be intimidating, but they tend to work wonders for people with special needs.
“We would get on, and the horse would go, woo-hoo let’s go!” Christine explains. “But Brendan would get on, and the horse would go, no, you don’t have balance. The horse would sense that!”
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The connection sometimes doesn’t happen immediately, but a few years later, they were like each other’s best friends.
It’s not just the physical part. Christine has seen therapeutic horseback riding work for kids on the Autism spectrum, or have suffered abuse.
Wings of Eagles Ranch provides riding lessons, hosts summer camps, and soon, a camp for families. Christine’s longtime dream of starting a family camp is starting to come to life. Once complete, it will be five cabins dedicated to helping keep families together.
“We just want to embrace you, because we know how hard it is,” says Christine. “We can program with the children really well, so mom and dad, you just go and… it’s kind of also like a marriage retreat within a family retreat, and get mom and dad connected.”
Friend Stephanie Burleson was in awe the first time she walked through Wings of Eagles Ranch. It’s 99% volunteer work, and seeing Christine’s tireless work and dedication that all started with that simple riding lesson, is a wonderful sight to see.
“She’s made this dream a reality, and these kids get to come out here and do whatever they want, because she’s made it accessible to them,” Stephanie said.
Christine is quick to point out that they couldn’t keep the ranch running without community involvement. If you’d like to volunteer or donate, go to their website at wingsofeaglesranch.org.
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