Lauren Steadman is looking to become a double Paralympic Gold medalist on Sunday
Lauren Steadman is looking to become the first British double Gold medalist in the Paratriathlon on Sunday. Lauren is looking to add a second Paralympic Gold medal to her already impressive collection of Silver and Gold medals in Paris this weekend.
Lauren has been performing well over the last few years with 5 podium finishes at World Triathlon events in 2023 including claiming the Gold in the World Triathlon Para Cup in Malaga last October. The race will be strongly contested but we’re all behind Lauren and know she can claim her second Gold - only the third Paralympic Gold medal in history. Tune in on Sunday 1 September on Channel 4 to keep an eye on her progress.
Who is Lauren, and why should we watch on Sunday?
Lauren Steadman is a UOP Sport Sports Scholar who studied at the University of Portsmouth achieving a 1st class honours degree in Psychology at undergraduate level and a distinction in Business and Management at postgraduate level. Lauren was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Portsmouth in 2021. She went to two Paralympic Games whilst at university and competed in the BUCS Swimming Championships during her time at the University of Portsmouth. Lauren was also awarded an MBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours list for services to Triathlon.
Lauren first got into triathlon after her uncle, who is a triathlete, suggested she should try it. Lauren came to the sport of triathlon having already been to two Paralympic Games as a swimmer. She went to her first Paralympics in Beijing in 2008 aged just 15 and competed at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Her background in swimming provided a significant strength in triathlon. She was born without a right forearm and competes in the PTS5 classification.
She entered her first event triathlon event, the British Championships, in Nottingham in 2011 and finished second. At the Paratriathlon World Championships in Auckland (October 2012) Lauren won silver in the Aquathlon (swim-run) event and finished fifth in the Triathlon.
Between 2012 and 2016 Lauren competed in both Europe and across the World in Paratriathlon clocking up an impressive 16 Gold medals and 2 Silver medals. Lauren competed in her third Paralympic Games at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 this time competing in the first-ever Paratriathlon to be included in the Paralympics, Lauren took home a silver medal. Lauren would be a consistent feature on the podium in the following two years with five gold medals in the five major events she entered in 2018, while also securing 2 silver medals. This success guided her to win at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final on the Gold Coast in September 2018.
Lauren is a multiple European and World Champion in Paratriathlon and is a regular podium finisher. When World Triathlon Para Series racing made its debut on British soil at the AJ Bell 2021 World Triathlon in Leeds, Lauren took the tape when she finished ahead of compatriot, Claire Cashmore, by 50 seconds after a dominant cycle and strong run. She shared the Leeds podium with Cashmore (2nd) and the USA’s Grace Norman (3rd). Before Tokyo 2020 Lauren continued her winning streak with another gold at World Triathlon Para Cup A Coruna before travelling to represent ParalympicsGB at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Racing alongside Claire Cashmore and looking to better her silver medal at Rio 2016, Lauren put in a determined performance which saw her claim the Gold medal and take the title of Paralympic champion after she finished ahead of Grace Norman.
Lauren has been a hugely influential sports personality using her success and disability to engage and inspire others to achieve their best. Lauren supports many charitable causes and spends a lot of time working with schools and children with disabilities. Lauren was awarded an MBE for services to sport in 2022. Lauren spends a lot of time talking to children within schools inspiring them to challenge themselves not just physically but academically.
BUCS Hall of Fame and other successes
As a result of her work in the world of sport Lauren was inducted into the BUCS Hall of Fame joining fellow Team GB greats such as Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sir Roger Bannister and Christine Ohurugou MBE and other sporting greats such as Alun Wyn Jones the Worlds Most Capped Rugby Player.
Lauren has been a key presence in Portsmouth celebrating and promoting the city, its sporting facilities and raising the profile of Portsmouth. A key advocate for the University of Portsmouth, Lauren is influential in allowing student-athletes to chase their academic and sporting aspirations proving that success in both fields is achievable.
Lauren has appeared in a number of reality TV shows to remove the stigma of disability and to inspire others to become active in excelling in this field. Lauren reached the Semi-Finals of Strictly Come Dancing, where she became the first-ever female disabled contestant. Lauren also took part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, where she became the first female winner of the show jointly awarded with Locksmith from Rudimental. She also does a lot of work presenting and was a key part of the Channel 4 Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics presenting team raising the profile of Paralympic sport.
Lauren has set up her own company called SIZU Minds which specialises in Mindset and High Performance training with a focus on mental wellbeing. During the pandemic lockdown, her company helped raise nearly £20,000 for the charity Mind. SIZU Minds delivers training to individuals and businesses to recognise the importance of mental wellbeing while striving for excellence - something Lauren has achieved across her career.
It’s wonderful to celebrate Lauren’s sporting endeavours, her entrepreneurial success, her humble personality and her approachability. She is an inspiration to me, the university community, to women and to those with a disability
University of Portsmouth Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Galbraith said: “Lauren is a true inspiration who has overcome so many challenges. We pride ourselves on supporting talent and aiming to be the best we can be, which is exactly our long-term goal – to be the top modern university. It’s wonderful to celebrate Lauren’s sporting endeavours, her entrepreneurial success, her humble personality and her approachability. She is an inspiration to me, the university community, to women and to those with a disability.”
If you’re looking for your own inspiration to get active - our Give Me Sport event will give you access to over 34 Student Sports Clubs to try between 26-29 September.