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Lauren Parker

Lauren Parker (born 15 December 1988) is an Australian para-triathlete and para-cyclist. She won a silver medal (triathlon) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and two gold (triathlon and cycling) and silver (cycling) medals at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. She has won multiple World Triathlon Championships in Women's PTWC.

She competed in para biathlon and cross country skiing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

Personal life

Parker was born on 15 December 1988 in Belmont, New South Wales. She lives in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Paratriathlon

Before having to transition to paratriathlon as a result of a serious training accident in April 2017, Parker was a successful triathlete. She took up triathlon at the age of 18 after being a successful junior swimmer. At the 2015 Ironman World Championship in Kona she finished second in the Women's 25–29 Age Group.

The training accident left Parker with a punctured lung, broken ribs, shoulder blade and pelvis, and damaged spinal cord. She spent six months in hospital and spinal rehabilitation unit. She turned to paratriathlon and competes in the PTWC-class for wheelchair athletes. After three months training, she won the bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Queensland.

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Parker finished second and won the silver medal with a time of 1:06.26. She was just 0.01 of a second behind the Gold medal winner Kendall Gretsch of the United States.

Major PTWC-class international paratriathlon results:

  • 2018 – OTU Paratriathlon Oceania Championship, St Kilda Melbourne – 2nd place
  • 2018 – ITU Paratriathlon World Cup, Devonport – 2nd place
  • 2018 – Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast – Bronze medal
  • 2018 – ITU World Paratriathlon Series Yokohama – 2nd place
  • 2018 – ITU Paratriathlon World Cup, Besançon – 1st place
  • 2018 – ITU World Paratriathlon Series, Iseo Franciacorta – 1st place
  • 2018 – ITU World Triathlon Grand Final, Gold Coast – Bronze medal
  • 2019 – ITU World Triathlon Grand Final, Lausanne – Gold medal
  • 2020 – Summer Paralympic Games, Tokyo – Silver medal -Women's PTWC
  • 2021 – ITU World Triathlon Championship Series, Abu Dhabi – Gold medal – Women's PTWC
  • 2022 – ITU World Triathlon Championship Series, Abu Dhabi – Gold medal – Women's PTWC
  • 2024 – Summer Paralympic Games, Paris – Gold medal in Women's PTWC
  • 2025 - World Triathlon Para Championships, Wollongong - Gold Medal Women's PTWC and silver medal Mixed Relay.

Parker is coached by Dan Atkins.

Para cycling

Para biathlon and cross country skiing

Parker took up skiing in June 2025. Her first international competitions were at the World Cup and Continental Cup in Canada in December 2025.

At the 2026 Winter Paralympics, she competed in biathlon and cross country skiing. Biathlon results - 9th in Women's Individual - Sitting, 10th in Women's Sprint pursuit - Sitting and 13th in Women's Sprint - Sitting. Cross-country skiing results - 8th in Women’s 10km classical - Sitting, 10th in Women's 20km interval start - Sitting and 13th in Women's Sprint - Sitting.

Recognition

  • 2018 – New South Wales Institute of Sport Ian Thorpe OAM Outstanding Achievement Award for having come back from a horrific training accident the previous year to qualify, compete and win bronze at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games; Sport NSW Athlete of the Year with a Disability; Triathlon Australia Chris Hewitt Emerging Athlete Award;
  • 2019 – Australian Women's Health Sport Awards Comeback of the Year; New South Wales Institute of Sport Ian Thorpe OAM Outstanding Achievement Award recognised Parker's ongoing battle to overcome her tragic training accident in 2017, with the paratriathlete ending the 2019 season as a world champion; Sport NSW Athlete of the Year with a Disability.
  • 2021 – Triathlon Australia Performance of the Year; Triathlon Australia Para-triathlon Female Performance of the Year; Triathlon Australia Athlete's Athlete of the Year
  • 2022 – Sport NSW Athlete of the Year with a Disability; Triathlon Australia Performance of the Year; Triathlon Australia Para-triathlon Female Performance of the Year
  • 2023 – Triathlon Australia Para-triathlon Female Performance of the Year; Sport NSW Athlete of the Year with a Disability, AIS Sport Performance Awards - Female Para-Athlete of the Year; AusCycling Women's Road Para-cyclist of the Year
  • 2024 – Flag bearer with James Turner at the Closing Ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France.
  • 2024 – New South Wales Institute of Sport Ian Thorpe AM Outstanding Achievement Award, Sport NSW Athlete of the Year with a Disability
  • 2024 – Australian Paralympian of the Year and Australian Female Paralympian of the Year
  • 2024 – AIS Sport Performance Awards - Female Para-Athlete of the Year and Performance of the Year
  • 2024 – Triathlon Australia Para-triathlon Female Performance of the Year
  • 2024 – AusCycling Women’s Road Para-cyclist of the Year
  • 2025 – Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours.
  • 2025 - AusCycling Women’s Road Para-cyclist of the Year

References

External links