Pursuit of Paris with Anu Francis – powered by deboer

Anu Francis is one of the world’s top elite para triathletes from Adelaide, currently ranked World number 2.  After three months racing in Europe chasing qualification for the 2024 Paralympics, Anu went on to win the Paris Paralympic Test Event. Unbelievably, three years ago Anu couldn’t swim!

Having missed qualifying for the Tokyo Paralympics in the sport of rowing by the smallest of margins, Anu talent-transferred into triathlon. Growing up she loved running and was competitive until her early teens, when her degenerative disabilities began to make her fall behind my peers. Not receiving the diagnoses of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Dopa-Responsive Dystonia (a one-in-a-million neurological condition) until her 20s, she barely ran again until she began triathlon, and only taught herself to ride a bike for the first time since childhood in the 6 months prior to her talent-transfer as cross-training for rowing during lockdown…

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