Tokyo Paralympics 2021: Silver medallist Lauren Parker reveals how art and sport help her deal with pain

The pain is excruciating — like being stabbed repeatedly or fire licking over her skin. The worse the pain, the more this athlete who has just won silver at her first Paralympics trains and races.

Para triathlete Lauren Parker draws as a distraction from pain.

Every second of every day Lauren Parker’s body is on fire. Sometimes it feels like she is being stabbed millions of times by needles.

At other times it is like a chainsaw is flicking across her body, cutting grooves.

Sitting still, it is like flames are dancing across her skin and leaving a path of burns.

The only time the pain is replaced by a different feeling — something slightly more manageable — is when she is training and racing.

It’s why this Newcastle triathlete, who won silver at her first Paralympics on Sunday, is addicted to sport, addicted to winning and addicted to pushing herself to new levels on the playing field.

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Para-triathlete Lauren Parker is at her first Games and a contender for gold. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

“I have a lot of neuropathic pain, every second of every day I feel like I’m being stabbed by needles. It’s torturous. I scream in pain at night,’’ Parker said.

“It’s like I’m being stabbed from my chest to my feet. It’s like I’m being cut up by a chainsaw.

“When I lower myself into water I feel like I am being cut open by a knife.

“Sitting talking to you I feel like I am burning. It’s torture. It’s like being on fire. It’s worse at night.”

Lauren Parker expresses her torture in her artwork. Picture: Supplied

Parker’s personal pain can he seen in her artwork. Picture: Supplied

Distracting herself is the best relief for Parker, who flew head first into a guard rail on the side of the Pacific Highway in 2017 when her tyre burst while training on her bike.

Parker sustained horrific injuries in the accident — including a punctured lung, broken shoulder blade, pelvis and ribs and damage to her spinal-cord — and has undergone multiple operations since her life changed four years ago.

“I have to keep busy. I like training because it takes my mind off the nerve pain. I have to be occupied all the time,” Parker said. “I can’t really relax because of the pain.

“Outside of training I play guitar and music. I life draw and paint and it helps.

“Athlete say pain is temporary. This pain I wake up with. It will never go away until there is a cure.’’

Driven for success: Lauren Parker is at her first Paralympic Games. Picture: Supplied

The Paralympic debutant has had to overcome more than just Covid isolation hurdles in the lead up to the games in Japan and the para-triathlon and in April had five weeks off training due to a skin infection.

“My leg was hugely swollen. It wasn’t good,’’ Parker said.

“I was so stressed. I had a tiny little pressure sore and something got into it and I had to have surgery on the lump … I lost so much strength and mentally I had to get over it.’’

Lauren Parker after her road bike accident, which left her with horrific injuries. Picture: Supplied

Parker then returned to training only to have a wrist tendon injury flare up.

“Fortunately I’ve had nothing since. I’m good to go now. I believe I can win gold,” said Parker who has had five spinal surgeries and multiple wrist surgeries in the past.

The 32-year-old went into Sunday’s PTWC1 triathlon as a world champion and with the confidence of a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 under her belt.

She lead most of the way before being overtaken for the gold medal by American Kendall Gretsch, missing gold by just 0.01 seconds in the PTWC race involving a 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run leg.

“It wasn’t to be for the gold but I am proud of my silver,” she said.

Parker also has big plans for the future, which include pushing to make the Australian cycling team as a paracyclist and competing in a Hawaii Ironman triathlon.

Parker competed in this famous Hawaiian race as an age grouper prior to her accident.