Gay triathlete Anu Francis finds her Paralympics niche as top medal contender

Name: Anu Francis
Country: Australia
Sport: Para Triathlon
Previous Paralympics Experience: None
Social Media: Instagram

Who Is Anu Francis?

In 2017, Francis was pursuing her childhood dream career path studying veterinary medicine when she was diagnosed a degenerative connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Because of this disability, she was ruled ineligible for a doctorate degree and her lifetime ambition was thwarted.

Undaunted and inspired by numerous Paralympians, Francis decided to pursue an athletic path instead. After competing in para badminton, she appeared to find her niche in para rowing. 

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But following a diagnosis of a one-in-a-million neurological condition known as Dopa-responsive dystonia, she just missed qualifying for the Tokyo Paralympics in para rowing due to a classification system that found her competing against athletes less impaired than herself.

Still, Francis refused to be denied. Recalling her childhood love of running, she turned her focus to para triathlon and taught herself to ride a bicycle and swim.

“And when I say I couldn’t swim, I mean on Day 1 of triathlon training when my coach asked me to swim 25 meters freestyle to show him where we starting from, my apologetic smile indicated that we would be starting from the very, very beginning,” she wrote.

Just four months after swimming for the first time, Francis competed in her first para triathlon at the 2021 Australian National Championships. 

Francis identifies as gay and is a lead ambassador for the Australian Institute of Sport’s Thrive with Pride Program, an initiative dedicated to promoting LGBTQ inclusion in the nation’s athletic communities.

“I hope I can utilize my experience as a gay athlete to be a positive role model for LGBTQIA+ individuals,” Francis said upon earning the honor.

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Anu Francis at the 2024 Paris Paralympics

Three years after her initial foray into para triathlon, Francis enters her first Paralympics in Paris ranked No. 2 in the world after winning her test event. She is classified as a PTS2 athlete and will compete on Sept. 1st.

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