- Change text size
- -A
- A
- A+
Lorian Graham
Pedal powered and cruising the city scape at sunrise is just part of a working day for Lorian Graham.
Cruising is perhaps better described as powering, a national cycling champion, Lorian has come back from a serious injury to reclaim her position as one of Australia’s elite female cyclists.
An ambassador for organ and tissue donation and a proud Sporting Hero for the World Transplant Games, Lorian is a treasure to the team.
What does Lorian think about the Games?
“To be competing against other transplant recipient athletes from across the other side of the world is something extra special – they not only get to compete against the World’s best, but are also able to come together on a common ground to share transplant stories.”
What does it mean to be a Sporting Hero?
“I am excited and feel privileged to be a part of the new Sporting Hero program a first of its kind in conjunction with the Games. I look forward to sharing stories and teaching the athletes the benefits of participating in sport.
“Through my personal experiences of hardship and overcoming adversity I hope to be a good role model to transplant recipients. Simply by watching the transplant recipients compete at the Games will give me goose-bumps. These people have already gone through so much just to be here (to be living). Their will to strive and will to achieve more at the Games will be truly inspirational.”
Lorian’s message about donation
Your decision to donate your organs and tissue will relieve the heartache and ensure the gift of life keeps giving. The time you are taking to make an active decision about organ and tissue donation, sadly a person is using that same time to wait for an organ donation.
Lorian and Cycling
From a family of Australian go-carting champions, it was Lorian’s passion to keep karting successes in the family. Always aspiring for elite athleticism, Lorian floated between karting, netball, running and touch football, however, she says “I found my real niche when I took up cycling at the age of 23.”
A hard worker, Lorian has balanced her cycling career with a day job, devoting her spare time to cycling. Hill repetitions and 4:30am starts has paid to pay off as she rose to achieve a World Cup series win with the Australian Women’s Road Team in 2004. At her peak, Lorian became the Australian Open Women’s Road Cycling Champion.
In a trip to Germany in 2005, the elite cyclist’s career was tragically stalled when a young motorist lost control of her car and ploughed into the Australian female cyclist team on a training day, killing team mate Amy Gillett and severely injuring Lorian and her fellow riders.
“I took months to be able to walk and up to 14 months for my knee to bend enough for me to get back on a bike,” said Lorian. “Following my traumatic experience in Germany… I wanted to do something positive for people and motivate others to fulfil their dreams.”
Recovering from her set back, working as a Graphic Designer in Brisbane, an advocate of the Amy Gillett Foundation and an ambassador for Transplant Australia, it’s a wonder Lorian has time to get back on the bike. She is definitely finding time and says there was nothing like feeling the wind on her face the first time she rode after the accident. A sincere passion, Lorian is back riding semi-professionally and into living life to the full.
The Sporting Hero Encouragement
Program
proudly sponsored by
