BROWN Fran

Date of Birth: 10 Oct 1984

Age: 36

Gender: Female

Sport Class: PTS2

Place of birth: TRURO

Birth Country:

Great Britain

Place of residence : LONDON

Residence Country:

Great Britain

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Triathlon	Women's PTS2	4

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Odaiba Marine Park	Women's PTS2	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Rank	Event	Year	Location	Result
World Championships
1	PTS2	2019	Lausanne, SUI	1:24:23
2	PTS2	2018	Gold Coast, QLD, AUS	1:19:44
3	PTS2	2017	Rotterdam, NED	1:25:09
European Championships
1	PTS2	2019	Valencia, ESP	1:19:16
1	PTS2	2018	Tartu, EST	1:21:24
2	PTS2	2017	Kitzbuhel, AUT	1:36:16

Occupation:

Athlete, Musician, Physiotherapist

Cardiff University, Great Britain

Languages spoken:

Jonathon Riall [national], GBR

Other sports:

She has represented Great Britain in Para climbing, winning gold at the 2012 and 2014 World Championships. She has also competed in Para cycling at international level, including triumphing at the 2017 World Cup road race in Ostend, Belgium. (franbrown.org.uk, 02 Oct 2018; britishtriathlon.org, 01 Sep 2019)

She took up Para triathlon in England in 2014. She began swimming as an alternative form of training for Para climbing, and was encouraged by friends to try cycling as a way to strengthen her legs. In 2015 she learned how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle and looked for a way to combine swimming and cycling. She was inspired to begin Para triathlon after watching able-bodied triathlon on television and learned to run with crutches and leg braces. (paralympic.org, 19 May 2020; franbrown.org.uk, 01 Sep 2018)

Following her impairment, in 2011 she began Para climbing and won two world championship gold medals, but switched to Para triathlon to compete at the Paralympic Games. "In climbing, I was in the most impaired grade and was still winning against those with less impairment, so I wanted to move into a more competitive sport, but also one with a more level playing field. I started triathlon in the 2014/15 season, after winning the climbing world championships." (paralympic.org, 19 May 2020; franbrown.org.uk, 01 Sep 2018)

To win a medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (paralympic.org, 19 May 2020)

Philosophy:

"I love the idea that you are what you make yourself. I have a quote from one of the songs on my website which says, 'I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable. I am an original'." (paralympic.org, 19 May 2020)

General Interest

Classification
PTS2 (ITU, 08 Aug 2021)

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (Twitter profile, 10 Jul 2021; franbrown.org.uk, 02 Oct 2018)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (britishtriathlon.org, 01 Sep 2019)

Impairment Details
She has incomplete quadriplegia as the result of a C4 spinal injury following an accident when working as a lighting technician at a theatre in the West End of London, England, in 2006. (Twitter profile, 24 Aug 2021; franbrown.org.uk, 02 Oct 2018; britishtriathlon.org, 01 Sep 2019; paralympic.org, 19 May 2020)

General
MEDICAL CONDITION
She has Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, and in October 2020 revealed she had undergone stoma surgery. "The last few months have been a rollercoaster of bowel issues, liquid diets, weight loss, fatigue and pain caused by the effects of my Crohn's and spinal cord injury combined. All of the above meant I recently underwent surgery to remove a part of my bowel and form a stoma. I wasn't going to go public about this as I'm still recovering, but inspired by Ostomy Awareness Day I've decided to share my recent challenges. I'm still an athlete and still the same person, just with a bag. I'm building back slowly, starting in my happiest place - on my bike." (Instagram profile, 03 Oct 2020)

OCCUPATION
She works as a physiotherapist and as a session musician playing drums and percussion instruments, including the xylophone. She has played drums for British guitarist Brian May and as part of the national anthem during the Queen's Christmas Broadcast in Great Britain. "It's great for stress relief and always makes me feel better. I try to do a bit for work as it's an escape from the triathlon. The music especially helps with my running, as I can think of music patterns and rhythms, and use that to keep my pace going. Swimming is about maintaining rhythm as well so it all really helps with my coordination." Before her impairment, she had worked as a lighting designer and technician for theatres in the West End of London, England. (Twitter profile, 24 Aug 2021; paralympic.org, 19 May 2020; insidetrishow.org, 03 Mar 2021)

FURTHER EDUCATION
After completing a degree in medical engineering and lighting technology at Cardiff University in Wales, she earned a second degree in physiotherapy at St George's, University of London in England following her impairment. (franbrown.org.uk, 01 Sep 2018)

Social Media

https://instagram.com/franrbrown
https://twitter.com/franrbrown
Athlete Website: http://www.franbrown.org.uk

Legend

:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event

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