S
port has always been a constant in the life of Lauren Rowles MBE, the twotime Paralympic gold medallist. “My earliest childhood memories are of running in school sports days and feeling like the fastest person on the planet because I beat all the other kids,” she shares. “Running was always my biggest passion. I remember watching the Beijing Olympics and wanting my moment on the podium in the GB kit singing the national anthem. I remember writing in my diary at the time that I wanted to be a professional runner at the Olympics. That was it, the dream was set.”
Being diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition, at the age of 13 could have been the end of Rowles’s sporting ambition. However, she remained steadfast, motivated by a desire, like any teenager, to hang out with her friends. “At that age, you never think anything bad is ever permanent. In a way, it gave me a resilience to get through the next six months of living in hospital and rebuilding my life.”
Losing sport left her feeling adrift. After her diagnosis in 2012, Rowles was taken by her mum to the London Paralympics, something the young athlete hadn’t had much exposure to before then. Watching athletes compete with significant impairments and disabilities gave her a renewed purpose and a way to still achieve her dream of a podium finish.
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