Lauren Parker

Started: She took up non-Para triathlon in 2008 under coach Aaron Lean at Multisport Solutions in Australia. She transitioned to Para triathlon after her accident in 2017. "After three months in hospital and three months in rehab, I signed myself out because it was really negative. They told me I'll never be an athlete again. And that I'll need to learn to live the rest of my life in a wheelchair. Around that time, I found out that Para triathlon existed. I did my first race in January of 2018." (auscycling.org.au, 09 Jun 2023; manaseg.com, 20 Jul 2021; laurenparkerblog.wordpress.com, 18 May 2015) Reason: Having competed in non-Para triathlon, she wanted to continue pursuing the sport after her accident. "I found out that it was possible for me to get back into my sport that I once loved, triathlon. I started Para triathlon with the dream of competing at the Ironman World Championship in Kona [Hawaii, United States of America], as I raced in Kona twice as an able-bodied athlete. It's the reason I started Para triathlon after being told I'd never walk again. I think that really saved me and it gave me something to work towards." (Facebook page, 30 Aug 2022; manaseg.com, 20 Jul 2021) Ambition: To win gold medals in both triathlon and cycling at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (trizone.com.au, 10 May 2024; nswis.com.au, 05 Mar 2024; abc.net.au, 10 Aug 2023) Milestones: She became the second Australian triathlete to win a medal in the sport at the Paralympic Games when she claimed silver in the women's PTWC class at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: She was named Female Para Athlete of the Year at the 2023 Australian Institute of Sport [AIS] Sport Performance Awards. (auscycling.org.au, 30 Nov 2023) She was named Athlete of the Year with a Disability for 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023 at the New South Wales Champions of Sport Awards in Australia. (triathlon.org.au, 23 Nov 2023; paralympic.org.au, 22 Nov 2023; newfm.com.au, 29 Nov 2022) She was named 2022 Citizen of the Year in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. (Facebook page, 25 Jan 2022) She won the Comeback of the Year Award at the 2019 Women's Health Women in Sport Awards in Australia. (NSW Institute of Sport Facebook page, 17 Oct 2019) She won the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2018 New South Wales Institute of Sport Awards in Australia. (NSW Institute of Sport Facebook page, 15 Nov 2018) Additional Info: MULTI-SPORT AMBITION IN PARIS She began to increase her handcycling training during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has since become a world champion in both Para cycling and Para triathlon. She was named to both Australia's cycling and triathlon teams for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, and set her sights on claiming gold in both sports. "It's pretty special to now be a world champion in two sports - Para triathlon and Para cycling. The handcycle [is] my strongest leg [of the triathlon], I really enjoy it. In an ideal world, I will have the Para triathlon and the cycling time trial and road race at the [2024] Paralympics - three events hopefully and three gold medals hopefully. [AusTriathlon and AusCycling] want me to succeed in both sports, which really helps me focus on both sports. If there was a divide between the two, that would make it difficult. I'm lucky I have great support from both. After [the 2020 Paralympic Games in] Tokyo, I really set out to make the right connections, to make it possible, and AusCycling and AusTriathlon were super-excited. They work hand-in-hand." (paralympic.org.au, 30 Jul 2024; dailyadvertiser.com.au, 30 Nov 2023; abc.net.au, 09 Aug 2023; Cycling NSW Facebook page, 20 Jul 2021) TRANSITION TO PARA TRIATHLON Less than a year after her accident, she won a bronze medal in the women's PTWC event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. "Para triathlon is quite different to able-bodied triathlon. I had to get used to using a handcycle for the bike and really get used to using my arms for everything. It was so surreal to be on that start line at the Commonwealth Games 11 months after my accident. A lot of people then told me that I was inspirational. At first, I didn't really get it why I was inspirational. But after hearing people's stories, and how they overcame something major in their lives based on my life story, that really gave me a sense that I'm helping others." (aap.com.au, 01 Dec 2023; manaseg.com, 20 Jul 2021; World Triathlon YouTube channel, 28 Sep 2018; triathlon.org, 15 Jan 2018)