Doctor of the University
A highly decorated Paralympian with multiple world and European titles to her name.
Lauren Steadman is the current Paralympic Triathlon Champion in the Women’s Individual PTS5 race, three-time World Champion and seven-time European Champion.
Lauren was born missing her lower right arm but this has only spurred her on to be the best version of herself, and she relishes the challenge of overcoming barriers.
Her passion for swimming started when she was just four years old. By the age of 15, she was representing Team GB as a Paralympic swimmer in Beijing 2008.
Lauren competed in London 2012 as a swimmer, but has since specialised in paratriathlon, achieving the silver medal in Team GB’s inaugural entry at Rio 2016.
At Tokyo 2020, Lauren returned to the Games stronger than ever. She made history by winning the Paralympic Champion title for Team GB. It was the culmination of a 16-year dream and the final medal to complete her arsenal of titles.
In her free time, Lauren loves to salsa dance and notably reached the semi-final of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. Two years later she was crowned joint winner on Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins after facing a gruelling course in the challenging terrain of Scotland’s rugged West Coast.
Lauren’s dedication and drive in all aspects of her life also saw her attain a 1st Class Psychology degree and a Distinction in her Master’s in Business from the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. Her next academic goal is a PhD studying preventative mental wellbeing practices for Olympians and Paralympians.
While studying for her PhD, Lauren aims to defend her title as Paralympic Triathlon Champion in Paris 2024, as well as striving to qualify for her first Winter Paralympics, Milan 2026 as a cross country skier.