Lauren Booth: pedalling her way to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics
At six weeks old, Lauren Booth contracted bacterial meningitis which left her fighting for her life. She suffered regular fits and was resuscitated multiple times.
The meningitis has caused life-long difficulties for Lauren; she has cerebral palsy which affects the left side of her body, is deaf in one ear and struggles with memory and learning problems. Despite these challenging diagnoses, Lauren has battled in the face of adversity to become a National Champion in cycling, beating adults and breaking records.
Her passion and ability for cycling began when, at the age of four, the Meningitis Trust charity presented Lauren with a specially adapted trike. As the pedalling helped strengthen Lauren’s muscles, she was already beating her doctor’s original predictions that she would never walk or have the balance required to cycle a bike. Today, Lauren cycles a fully-fledged ‘normal’ bike with ease.
Over the years, Lauren has won many competitions. Significantly, 2012 saw her cycling at the Manchester Velodrome with Sir Chris Roy after being crowned ‘Britain’s Biggest Cycling Fan’. At the age of 12, Lauren gained a World Best time, but it was not able to become a World Record due to her youth. Determined to excel her record, Lauren went on to beat 13 National Records the following year.
Lauren is a member of the British Cycling’s paracycling programme, training with adult British champions who have attended previous Paralympics. As well as training alongside them, Lauren is also competing against them; regularly topping the cycling charts with her notable speeds, especially in the Flying 200m, the track race that she most impresses in.
On the occasion that Lauren’s cycling takes a back-step, she works as an ambassador for the Meningitis Trust. She was selected by Meningitis Now to feature as a wooden sculpture in the charity’s section of the Chelsea Flower Show back in 2016, in commemoration of the charity’s 30th anniversary. A scan was taken of Lauren and turned, by an award-winning designer, into the sculpture.
She has also been privileged to meet (His Royal Highness) Prince Harry as he congratulated her on her hard work both in cycling and for her positive outlook on difficult disabilities.
Earlier this year, now aged 17, Lauren qualified for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. On review however, it was deemed that she was not ‘disabled enough’ to compete as a Paralympian. Despite the life-limiting difficulties that Lauren had grown to manage through her short life, this decision was heart-breaking for the young cyclist.
Her mother has met with a medical professor in London and they are working to compile a report of Lauren’s medical complications in the hope that she will be re-assessed for the coming Paralympics.
If she is successful, Lauren will fly to Tokyo in the summer of 2020 to compete against other world 200m Flying professionals. With the experience and commitment that she has, as well as a strong support unit in Britain, Lauren will no doubt strive for gold.
