Lauren Parker
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 Lauren Parker in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 December 1988 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Paratriathlon Para-cycling Para biathlon Paralympic cross-country skiing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Lauren Parker OAM (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.[1] 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.
Parker was born on 15 December 1988 in Belmont, New South Wales.[2] 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.[3] She took up triathlon at the age of 18 after being a successful junior swimmer.[2] At the 2015 Ironman World Championship in Kona she finished second in the Women's 25–29 Age Group.[4]
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.[5]
At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Parker finished second and won the silver medal with a time of 1:06.26.[6] 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:[7]
- 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[8]
- 2020 – Summer Paralympic Games, Tokyo – Silver medal -Women's PTWC[9]
- 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[10]
- 2025 - World Triathlon Para Championships, Wollongong - Gold Medal Women's PTWC and silver medal Mixed Relay.[11]
Parker is coached by Dan Atkins.
Para cycling
- 2023 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Glasgow – her first major international para cycling event, Parker won the gold medal in the Women's Time Trial H3 and the silver medal in the Women's Road Race H3.[12]
- 2024 – Summer Paralympic Games, Paris – gold medal in Women's road race H1-4 and silver medal in the Women's road time trial H1-3.
- 2025 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Ronse - gold medals in the Women's Time Trial H3 and Women's Road Race H3.[13]
Para biathlon and cross country skiing
Parker took up skiing in June 2025.[14] Her first international competitions were at the World Cup and Continental Cup in Canada in December 2025.[15]
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.
