Lauren Parker Sets New Record At 2022 Ironman World Championship

Completing the 2022 edition caps off an incredible five-year journey for Parker since suffering life-changing injuries in a bike accident in April 2017.

Parker finished in a time of 12:20:35, nearly two hours quicker than she completed the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship in St. George, Utah, in May.

“I’m so happy that I was able to finish in a really good time today. It’s been a big day but I’m just so excited that I was able to come here, it’s been my dream for the last five years since my accident to come here and race as a Para-athlete, and to do that today it’s just unbelievable. You can’t put any words to the emotion’s that I’m feeling,” said Parker.

“I have high expectations of myself, and I had a goal of going two hours quicker than what I did in St George, and I think pretty much that today I hit my goal and I couldn’t be happier.”

The conditions in Kona are renowned for being the toughest of any race in the world, with heat, humidity, and changing winds to contend with for 226km.

“I had a great swim, I felt really comfortable in the water, I had my own space, and I got a decent time that I was after. On the bike I knew it was going to be a long day out in that sun, it took longer than expected to get to Hawi but I just kept going and focused on each pedal stroke rather than focusing on the kilometres I had to go. I really stayed in the moment and that’s what helped me get through that bike. Then the run I just had to keep moving my arms, it was really hard,” she said.

Before the race Parker said she had prepared well for the challenges she anticipated facing in Kona, but she was perhaps not prepared for the toughest challenge of the day – getting up the ramp over the final metres and across the finish line.

“That finisher ramp was probably the hardest hill in the whole race. At one stage I thought that I was going to go backwards and then I had to turn my chair to a diagonal to get up, but I was so happy that I was able to get up there and finish,” said Parker.

Parker’s return to the biggest stage in triathlon comes six years after she last raced in Kona at the 2016 IRONMAN World Championship, then as an able-bodied age-group athlete. Her mum was with her that year and was with her again today – something Parker says added extra emotion to the event.

“To have my mum here to see my race is pretty special. She was here in 2015 when I raced here so to have her here again is a really special moment. To have my two great friends here as well as my handlers in transition and to have them here to witness my achievements is really special,” she said.

“I had so much support from all the athletes and spectators and it was unbelievable how many athletes shouted out encouragement to me, it was really great.”

Despite just completing the toughest single day sporting event in the world there is no time to rest for Parker. The 33-year-old switches focus to the sprint distance World Championship in six weeks’ time, before starting her next big build toward the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.