PKF celebrates historic Paralympic triumph of ambassador Lauren Parker
PKF is celebrating the historic achievement of ambassador Lauren Parker, the first Aussie athlete to claim gold in two different sports at the Paralympics since 1976.
Parker achieved the remarkable feat after dominating the women’s H1-4 road race to finish more than four minutes ahead of her rivals, the victory adding to her earlier gold medal in the PTWC1 triathlon won just three days prior.
Hailing from Newcastle, Parker suffered a serious spinal injury in a road cycling accident in 2017 which left her a paraplegic and in constant nerve pain, but nevertheless claimed a Commonwealth Games bronze medal the following year.
The disappointment of being narrowly beaten into silver in the triathlon at the Tokyo Paralympics was quickly erased by her triumph at this year’s event, which she quickly followed up with a silver in the women’s H1-3 individual time trial. A day later however, Parker etched herself in the history books, becoming Australia’s first single-Games dual-sport gold medallist in almost five decades.
As a long-term ambassador and regular visitor and speaker, Parker’s record-breaking achievement prompted cheers from PKF’s Sydney & Newcastle office, with non-executive director Kylee Dare neatly summing up the sentiment; “She is fierce, strong and incredibly focussed. She has grit, determination and resilience. Today she won GOLD, and we are so very proud.”
“What Lauren has achieved in a two-year period since her accident is phenomenal,” Dare said upon Parker signing on in 2019. “Just the process of reconciling and finding some acceptance of her disability statistically takes much longer than that. Her resilience and strength is inspiring, and I’m proud to be a part of an organisation that values inclusion and puts those values into action.”
The accounting and consulting firm’s logo features on Parker’s regular competition top as part of their partnership agreement, yet Parker herself describes the arrangement as much more than a business deal, stating previously; “It’s a genuine relationship, and I’m so grateful. I definitely wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing without the support from everyone at PKF.”
Parker’s multi-sport conquest – the first for an Australian athlete since Eric Russell at the 1976 Toronto Games – wasn’t PKF’s only cause for celebration at this year’s event in Paris, with the firm also backing several members of Australia’s successful water polo teams. Additionally, PKF will be cheering on Newcastle in this year’s NRL finals after the Knights snuck into eighth spot in the final game of the season.
