SPOKANE, Wash. — Athletes all over the world train for years for the chance to make it onto the world stage. Recent high school graduate Lauren Fields makes all of that hard work look easy. “My entire family knows track, all of us, said Lauren. “Our parents ran in college. Half my cousins ran in college. It's like it's the family sport.”
Unlike her family members, Lauren has been in a wheelchair nearly her entire life but she’s never let that slow her down, if anything it’s sped her up.
“I was at an All-Comers meet, and I was complaining to my bigger cousins that I couldn't run in the All-Comers meet because I was too young,” said Lauren. “So they kind of milked it like, oh, you should let her run, you know. And I met a wheelchair racer that day, and he asked me if I wanted to try his race chair. And I fell in love.”
The recent high school grad is not just getting ready to head to the University of Illinois, but she’s getting ready for the chance of a lifetime. She’s one of three ParaSport Spokane athletes who are representing Team USA at the Paralympic games in Paris.
“I think trials was like the most fun and stressful experience of my entire life,” said Lauren. “Because in the back of my mind, I knew maybe I could make the team, but at the same time, a huge thing for ParaSport and all of us is just living in the moment and not allowing yourself to get kind of caught up in your own head. So it was kind of taking a step back and realizing that me, six years ago, would not think that I'd be doing what I was doing at the time of trials.”
The 18-year-old placed second in the 100 and 800-meter races at the trials recording her fastest time ever. She was joined by her long time coach and ParaSport Spokane Executive Director Teresa Skinner.
“Just to watch her grow and mature in so many different ways, not even just on the track, but off the track, just to watch her personality blossom,” said Teresa.
Skinner has been training Paralympians for more than 15 years. “In 2008 one of the athletes that I started coaching made the team at 14 years old,” said Skinner. “She's still the youngest one to ever make the track and field team, and she made it in the 800 meters.”
Skinner will join Lauren in Paris, not just as her coach, but also as a member of the Team USA coaching staff. “For me to be a part of someone's journey, especially as a rookie, making the games, and being able to represent the U.S.,” said Skinner. “To really, I mean, obviously coaching staff, but to almost be a fly on the wall and get to watch and witness all that joy and all that excitement and all of that awe that is so much a part of the Olympics and Paralympics, I think, is such a ridiculous blessing to have that as part of my experience too.”
As they head into the final stretch of preparations for race day, Lauren and Teresa have some words of encouragement for all the aspiring athletes out there. “There's an athlete in all of us,” said Skinner. “And it doesn't have to be on this massive competitive stage, but there's an athlete in every single one of us.”
“I used to think that it wasn't possible for me to go in a straight line or do a 400-meter lap,” said Lauren. “So don't give up, even if it feels like it's like way too hard for you, it's not.”
The Paralympic games begin August 28th and go through September 8th.
