A Front-Row Seat to Olympic History
It was a quarter of a century ago when Lauren Burns, Olympic gold medallist in Taekwondo, won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics against all odds.
My involvement came as a physiotherapist appointed to the medical team, responsible for weight-classified sports including Taekwondo, boxing, judo and wrestling. I was lucky enough to be sitting on the mat in her corner when the gold medal decision went her way.
I was also fortunate to be selected as part of a broader team that included doctors, psychologists, dietitians and musculoskeletal therapists specialising in massage.
The Injury Before the Final
The day before the competition, Lauren had been diagnosed with a fracture to her little finger, an injury that threatened her participation in the gold medal event. She faced a choice: withdraw altogether or find an alternative solution that would allow her to compete and potentially secure Australia’s first gold medal in this relatively unknown sport at the time.
Because she needed to grip and strike with that hand, we decided to make a splint that would allow her to perform these actions, even if at reduced capacity. We hoped that with adrenaline, determination and the protection of a custom splint, she could rely on her skill and tactical intelligence to take the lead and hold it.
There was a risk that the referee might inspect the splint and rule her ineligible if it was not fully compliant. We took that chance. Fortunately, everything went to plan, and the referee paid no attention to the heavy strapping protecting what was clearly an injured dominant hand.
Dream, Believe, Achieve
The rest is history. Lauren won the gold medal with composure and grace.
Following the medal presentation, Lauren demonstrated her professionalism and toughness in a memorable way. She gave me a signed poster thanking me for my help in her victory. It soon became clear that the poster had been prepared before the Olympics; she fully expected to win.
The words “Dream, Believe, Achieve” were printed across the poster. She had visualised this moment long before it happened, exemplifying her confidence and mindset as a champion.
A Champion’s Humility
After giving me the poster, Lauren asked if she could borrow my phone to call her boyfriend and share the news. It was then that I realised the reality faced by many amateur athletes in lesser-funded sports; she had run out of credit on her phone. Needless to say, I didn’t accept her offer to reimburse me for the call.
Later, on the bus back to the Olympic Village, I noticed Lauren warmly embracing and kissing a man about my age who looked strikingly familiar. It did not take long to realise it was her father, Ronnie Burns, a pop music icon from the 1970s.
I said to Lauren that a bit of prior warning about her famous father would have been nice. Without missing a beat, she smiled and said, “That’s nothing, my mum’s even more famous,” before explaining that her mother, Maggie Burns, had been a well-known dancer from the same era.
More Than a Gold Medal
As modest and unassuming as Lauren was, it struck me that she came from good stock and had been raised with qualities many of us aspire to.
Her journey inspired me to reflect on what it truly takes to become a champion.
