Lauren Steadman is best known for competing twice at the Paralympic Games in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 for swimming, then Rio 2016 for the paratriathlon where she won a silver medal!
Keep on reading to find out more!
"I like to think that I raise the standard within my category, and I want to raise it again to prove that disability sport can keep pushing the boundaries" - Lauren Steadman
Lauren Steadman: Bound For Paralympic Glory
Lauren was born in Peterborough and currently lives in Portsmouth. She was born with a lower limb difference on her right arm, but this has not stopped her in any way from achieving her champion status!
Her career began earlier than most and she was already competing in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games when she was just 15 years old! She competed in swimming both in 2008 and 2012 and tried out Para triathlon in 2011 after she was encouraged by her uncle, who is also a triathlete.
Lauren's Awards & Accomplishments
Through her career in sports, Lauren Steadman has become an ambassador for both the Triathlon Trust and United Learning and has won many awards! Her awards include the 2016 Female Para Triathlete of Year award by 220 Triathlon Magazine, Female Para Triathlete of the Year in 2014 and 2015 by British Triathlon and the 2007 BBC East Sports Para Personality of the Year in England. All of these awards are well deserved!
Despite her many accomplishments, she has had to overcome failure, when she missed out on gold the Rio 2016 games and had a bike crash in the 2016 World Championships in Rotterdam. The International Paralympic Committee praised her and said "over and over, Lauren Steadman has proven that she can climb back from adversity".
Laurens Career Outside of Sport
"In 2011 I competed in the British nationals and came second, and realised I had transferable skills from swimming to triathlon. I then got asked to represent Great Britain a few more times in world championships, and decided to make triathlon my new challenge. I found immense enjoyment from pushing my body to the limits in three sports rather than just the one." - Lauren Steadman
On top of her many achievements, Lauren went to University of Portsmouth to study Psychology and then did a Masters in Business! You may also have seen her on TV shows including the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. She was the first female disabled contestant on Strictly show and made it all the way to the semi-finals and won Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins! She felt like these experiences showed her determination and wanted to inspire others to try something new!
Lauren is a great inspiration to us and we hope she is to you! Don't be afraid to break out of your comfort zone, and don't forget to check out the ExpHand Blog for even more inspiring stories from the limb difference community!
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