Schoolmates and bridesmaids battle for Paralympic gold

Lauren Steadman and Claire Cashmore first met 18 years ago, and their lives and careers person been entwined ever since.

They were students together astatine Kelly College - a backstage boarding schoolhouse successful Devon - earlier becoming swimmers and competing astatine nan Paralympics for Britain.

Both later transitioned into triathlon, were connected nan podium together astatine nan Covid-delayed Games successful Tokyo, and will erstwhile again conflict for golden successful nan Paris Paralympics this summer.

It is simply a rivalry which has extended crossed nan years - but, according to Steadman, is 1 that is friendly, moreover familial.

"She is for illustration a large sister to me," Steadman told BBC Sport. "I met her erstwhile I was 13, and I said to my dad: 'I want to beryllium Claire Cashmore.'

"Off nan section we are very close. I ne'er want her to person a bad race. I don't want to hit personification erstwhile they are down.

"If we are starring nan measurement forward, past who amended to push boundaries pinch than my ain team-mate. We tin usage each different to beryllium nan champion successful nan world."

That thrust to beryllium nan champion was calved astatine Kelly College - now known arsenic Mount Kelly, which has produced a singular number of Olympians and Paralympians, peculiarly swimmers.

Along pinch Cashmore and Steadman, Paralympic golden medal-winning swimmers Hannah Russell and Michael Jones besides attended nan boarding schoolhouse successful Tavistock, arsenic did British Olympians Sharron Davies, Andy Jameson and Robin Brew.

As good arsenic sharing an alma mater, Cashmore and 31-year-old Steadman besides person a akin disablement - 1 missing forearm - which intends they compete successful nan aforesaid Para-triathlon category, PTS5.

While they title against 1 another, Cashmore - who is 5 years nan elder of Steadman - says they seldom interact extracurricular of nan bluish carpet, contempt her team-mate's explanation of a sisterly relationship.

"Lauren and myself don't train together, we only spot each different astatine competitions and training camps,” she told BBC Sport. “It keeps you connected your toes to cognize location are girls who are perpetually pushing and breaking down those barriers to beryllium better, truthful you person to make judge you are doing everything you tin arsenic well.

"I emotion racing against different group who are perpetually pushing maine to beryllium better. It is what keeps maine motivated, mounting goals each day. If it was a locomotion successful nan park, I wouldn't person that aforesaid thrust each day. I emotion to beryllium pushed, spot nan different girls doing good and support pushing boundaries."

While Cashmore is little effusive astir her narration pinch Steadman, that is little to do pinch rivalry and much astir her seniority, according to erstwhile team-mate Rachael Latham.

Latham knows some women well, having swum pinch Steadman astatine nan 2008 Paralympics and pinch Cashmore astatine World Championships. Now retired, she remains friends pinch both.

"Claire is nan older jock and much reserved - astatine 1 point, Claire was Lauren's domiciled model,” Latham told BBC Sport. “Now Lauren is simply a champion and Claire is chasing that dream.

“Lauren will ever position Claire arsenic that mentor, nan first personification who did that, 'I want to beryllium for illustration that too'. She is ever much apt to beryllium publically unfastened astir personification she admires and likes.

"Claire had been to nan Games, achieved things Lauren hadn't. I guarantee 1 of nan things Lauren would person said astatine nan commencement of her profession is: 'I've met Claire Cashmore, she is amazing.' Now nan narration has shifted. When they are going for nan aforesaid goal, they are not going to beryllium champion friends. And that's OK."

The astir high-profile title betwixt Cashmore and Steadman came successful Tokyo 3 years agone - though it was respective Paralympic cycles successful nan making.

Paris 2024 will beryllium Cashmore's sixth Games and Steadman's fifth. For Cashmore, nan first 4 came arsenic portion of nan ParalympicsGB swimming squad pinch nan pinnacle being golden arsenic portion of nan women's 4x100m squad astatine Rio 2016.

But aft increasing disillusioned pinch swimming, Cashmore chose to modulation to triathlon, which had made its Paralympic debut successful Rio, wherever Steadman won metallic successful nan PT4 category.

Steadman had swum for GB successful nan 2008 and 2012 Games, earlier moving into her stronger discipline.

So, successful beforehand of zero spectators successful nan Japanese superior because of Covid, Steadman and Cashmore met connected nan Paralympic stage.

In a melodramatic race, Steadman took golden aft taking nan lead during nan cycling section, extending her lead astatine nan extremity during nan run.

Cashmore came 3rd aft being fixed a one-minute punishment for a "drafting violation" - entering nan slipstream of a racer successful front, without intending to overtake.

There was disorder arsenic title officials initially sewage nan punishment long wrong, leaving Cashmore disappointment and settling for bronze.

Silver went to American Grace Norman, who completes nan fascinating triangle of relationships successful nan PTS5 category.

Norman, 26, and Steadman are adjacent friends - to nan grade Steadman was a bridesmaid astatine Norman's wedding – and it is not a relationship which is put connected clasp moreover successful nan build-up to a Paralympics.

"I messaged her 3 days agone astir my caller nails," Steadman said erstwhile speaking to BBC Sport successful July. "Grace likes to do a batch of things successful her down time, for illustration arts and crafts, truthful I’m often messaging her astir that.

"We are ever checking in. Even if we are arch-enemies successful nan race, we cheque in. Although we effort to beryllium much respectful successful nan build-up to a race, to springiness each different space.

"When I was younger, Grace was a threat. But now we are older, I person learned to person respect for nan group I title with. I want everyone to bring their A-game. I ever opportunity to her earlier a race, 'good luck', but successful nan title we alert nan emblem for our country."

This is symbolic of rivalry successful Paralympic sport, says Latham - it burns agleam and fierce, but is borne of a communal respect and empathy dissimilar thing successful nan Olympics.

"Young Paralympians whitethorn not person met a abnormal personification before," she said. "You enslaved complete these things which person higher worth to you. They respect each different arsenic athletes, but it is much than conscionable sport.

"Claire taught maine really to do my hairsbreadth pinch 1 hand, for example."

To Paris, wherever nan PTS5 section looks beardown again - and nan accustomed suspects are contending for gold.

Cashmore and Norman are first and 2nd respectively successful nan world rankings. The Briton is nan in-form triathlete pinch 3 wins successful world events truthful acold successful 2024. Cashmore has besides won nan past 3 European Championships.

For Cashmore, it is astir redemption and learning from nan correction which disrupted her truthful severely successful 2021 - successful what was a peculiarly traumatic Games not only for her, but for her partner and chap ParalympicsGB triathlete Dave Ellis, whose badge hopes were ended by a bike-chain failure.

Steadman's build-up has been overmuch little smooth. She has fallen to 11th successful nan world rankings pursuing a two-year break from triathlon, during which clip she took up training successful cross-country skiing pinch a position to a imaginable bid for nan Winter Paralympics successful 2026.

Her preparations person besides been severely disrupted by testing affirmative for Covid successful March, which near her incapable to compete astatine afloat capacity for months.

Steadman is looking to usage each her acquisition and nous to woody pinch aggregate pressures - value opposition, her ain health, her position arsenic reigning Paralympic champion, and being 1 of nan astir recognisable names successful nan ParalympicsGB squad from her galore TV endeavours, including Strictly Come Dancing successful 2018.

So 2 Britons competing for gold, astatine nan aforesaid clip truthful akin and truthful different. But if either aliases neither tops nan podium, says Latham, location will beryllium nary animosity.

"Claire is perfectly proud of Lauren, and proud of her career," she said.

"Lauren is doing everything Claire aligns pinch - she puts herself retired there, connected societal media, she is simply a family name, and she is trying to beryllium nan champion triathlete successful nan world.

"If she doesn't get gold, Claire will beryllium devastated but she will not beryllium bitter astatine Lauren."