In the middle of every adversity, lies opportunity. Anything is possible if you believe.
Every path to a Paralympic Games is unique. There are athletes born with their disabilities who have long dreamed of becoming Paralympians. Then there are athletes like Lauren Parker whose lives have taken unexpected turns.
As an elite able-bodied triathlete, Lauren was an Australian representative and finalising her preparation for the 2017 Ironman Australia Triathlon when disaster struck. She was on a training ride travelling at 40km/hr when both her tyres blew, catapulting her into a guard rail.
Among her multiple major injuries was paraplegia.
Lauren was also faced with a question. The very same question that all future Paralympians ask after acquiring a life-changing disability – what now?
After some soul-searching, the answer became glaringly obvious – Para-triathlon would be her new calling.
Fast-forward to today, and Lauren is one of Australia’s most promising Para-triathletes. She is the reigning world champion in the women’s PTWC, won a Commonwealth Games bronze medal just 12 months post injury, and has achieved a podium place in all but one race since returning to international competition in 2018.
At her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Lauren claimed silver in the women’s PTWC to finish with a time of 1:06.26. Despite leading for the majority of the race, she was pipped by Kendall Gretsch (USA) by one second in a thrilling sprint finish.
