Australian Lauren Parker is ready to embark on second Paralympic Games

Lauren Parker, the 35-year-old Australian para-triathlete and para-cyclist, begins her competition at the 2024 Paris Paralympics tonight and will be cheered on proudly back home by her sponsor Red Energy.

Prior to her career as a para-athlete, Lauren was a successful swimmer throughout her juniors years which led her to start training for triathlons at the age of 18. During her success of being a triathlete, Lauren was training for an Ironman event in April 2017, where she was involved in an awful accident on her bike.

Despite sustaining life-altering injuries including paraplegia and six months in hospital, Lauren turned to competitive sport. She trained as a para-triathlete and competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games where she received a bronze medal.

Fast forward two years and many championship events later, Lauren took home a silver medal in the Women’s PWTC at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Her career continued to advance into para-cycling where she won gold in the Women’s Time Trial H3 and silver in the Women’s Road Race H3 at the 2023 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Champions.

After having won all her races in the qualifying period, she is the first para-athlete since 1992 to compete in two sports at the same Paralympics. Australia is hopeful she will bring home a gold these games and will be competing in the Women’s Individual PWTC, Women’s H1-3 Individual Time Trial and Women’s Hi-4 Road Race.

Her first para-triathlon event in the Women’s Individual PWTC is set to take place on Monday 2 September at 4:20pm (AEST).