Christopher Reeve (1952-2004) was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. He established himself early as a Juilliard-trained stage actor before portraying Superman/Clark Kent in four films, from 1978 to 1987. He was, however, never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. He took the challenge only because it was a dual role. Reeve took up horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. He was initially allergic to horses, but as with every other sport he participated in, he took horse riding seriously and was intensely competitive with it. His allergies soon disappeared. The accident happened when he was invited in the 1995 jumping and dressage finals at the Commonwealth Park. Being over-concerned about jumps sixteen and seventeen, Reeve paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence. After his horse had a refusal, Reeve fell off, severely damaged his spinal cord, and therefore, became paralyzed from the neck down. After being convinced that not only would he never walk again, but that he might never move a body part again, Reeve considered suicide. Thanks to his wife's timely encouragement of love, Reeve never considered suicide as an option again. Instead, since he was constantly being covered by the media, he realized that he could use his name to help everyone with spinal cord injuries. Throughout this time, Reeve kept his body as physically strong as possible by using specialized exercise machines. Also, by engaging in various show businesses, he kept his mind active and helpful to others. Though he finally lost his battle to a systemic infection and passed away on October 10, 2004, his story has inspired people worldwide.