Lauren sets sights on Gold Coast

There was success for Ballyclare triathlon prospect Lauren Strange in her final event of the season.
Lauren Strange and her father Paul. INNT 40-811CONLauren Strange and her father Paul. INNT 40-811CON
Lauren Strange and her father Paul. INNT 40-811CON

The talented teen was representing the Triathlon Ireland’s junior academy team and stormed to gold in the 16 to 19 age category at the Pulse Port Beach Sprint event.

Her big ambition is to represent Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games which will take place on the Gold Coast, Australia. If she keeps progressing at this rate, her coaches believe it’s a realistic goal.

The race, which took place in County Louth, boasted a field of 107 female participants, with 16-year-old Lauren, one of the youngest participants, punching above her weight to take 28th place overall.

She crossed the finish line in a personal best time of 01:18:59.

“I really enjoyed the event. It was a nice swim, a scenic cycle and a nice, flat run,” she said.

“Now I’m looking forward to a couple of weeks’ break from events before the cross-country season starts.”

Her final race capped a brilliant first season competing at this level. She has enjoyed a successful debut campaign, winning medals in the majority of races she took part in.

Her dad, Paul, believes she has adapted quickly to the level of competition.

“It feels really good to see Lauren competing at this level and to see her progress so well in her first season. She has coped really well and we are looking forward to building on this success next season,” he said.

Lauren has been competing in triathlon since June 2014 after being spotted at a talent identification day.

“I enjoy all three disciplines, but when I was doing them individually I wasn’t placing highly,” she added. “Now that I’ve put the three together, I’m seeing much better results and it’s given me confidence to look forward to next season.”