In the fourth episode of season four of the Her Spirit podcast  Louise Minchin and BBC Triathlon presenter Annie Emmerson talk to World, European & Two Time Paralympic Rowing Champion Lauren Rowles. Lauren’s remarkable journey began in 2012 at the age of 13 when she woke up one morning paralysed from the waist down. From there She spent the following eight months in hospitals and rehabilitation units trying to regain the use of her legs. Despite being left physically impaired from Transverse Myelitis, Lauren was determined to make it as an Olympic athlete she had dreamed of as a young girl. Lauren began her career as an elite athlete aged just 14 after she was inspired by the London 2012 Paralympic Games. She quickly found a talent in wheelchair track racing and she soon represented Great Britain on the international stage, including the Commonwealth Games and Junior World Championships. Lauren transitioned from Athletics to Rowing in 2015 after being scouted by the British Rowing Team and has gone from strength to strength ever since. Five months after she took her first stroke, Lauren won a silver medal at the Senior World Rowing Championships and qualified her boat for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio the following year. Lauren made her mark on the global sporting stage after winning a Paralympic gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games at the age of just 18. Subsequently, Lauren was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 New Year’s Honours List for her services to Rowing and has been nominated for several prestigious awards, including the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year. Despite the challenges of near career ending injuries and a global pandemic, Lauren has claimed both the World and European titles. Most recently she has returned from the Tokyo as Two Time Paralympic Champion, defending her 2016 title over a new race distance. Looking forward, Lauren hopes to continue building her legacy in sport and changing perceptions around disability and the LGBT community. Her Spirit http://www.herspirit.co.uk supports women of all shapes to sizes to achieve goals you never thought possible and have your #BestYearYet.    Come and join us for this years Winter Swim Challenge https://herspirit.co.uk/programmes/winter-swim-challenge/ it starts on the 31st October 2021 - 27th March 2022. These podcasts have been made possible through the support of Cotswold Outdoor. Cotswold Outdoor in-store experts will help customers make the right choice in the kit they buy, ensuring it will be the right fit and fit for purpose, and will last for many adventures. They also help customers care for and repair their kit with there Repair & Care and Footwear Protection services, to keep well-loved kit performing for longer. And when that kit finally comes to the end of its life, customers can use the Cotswold Outdoor Recycle My Gear service to keep their kit out of landfill. Just to https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com