Paris 2024: Lauren Steadman, Claire Cashmore and Grace Norman to compete for Paralympic gold

Lauren Steadman and Claire Cashmore met 18 years ago and their lives and careers have been intertwined ever since.

They studied together at Kelly College, a private boarding school in Devon, before taking up swimming and representing Great Britain at the Paralympic Games.

Both later switched to triathlon, stood on the podium together at the Covid-postponed Tokyo Games and will compete again for gold this summer at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

It’s a rivalry that has continued over the years, but Steadman says it’s a friendly, even familial rivalry.

“She’s like a big sister to me,” Steadman told BBC Sport. “I met her when I was 13 and I said to my dad, ‘I want to be Claire Cashmore.’

“Off the field we are very close. I never want her to have a bad race. I don’t want to beat someone when they are underneath me.

“If we’re leading the way, who better to push the boundaries with than my own teammate? We can use each other to become the best in the world.”

That drive to be the best was born at Kelly College, now known as Mount Kelly, where they have developed a remarkable number of Olympians and Paralympians, particularly swimmers.

In addition to Cashmore and Steadman, Paralympic gold medallists Hannah Russell and Michael Jones also attended the Tavistock boarding school, as did British Olympians Sharron Davies, Andy Jameson and Robin Brew.

Cashmore and the 31-year-old Steadman not only share the same alma mater, they also have a similar disability: they are missing a forearm. This means they compete in the same paratriathlon category: PTS5.

While they race against each other, Cashmore, who is five years older than Steadman, says they rarely interact outside of the blue carpet, despite her teammate’s description of a sisterly relationship.

“Lauren and I don’t train together, we only see each other at competitions and training camps,” she told BBC Sport. “It keeps you on your toes knowing that there are girls out there constantly pushing and breaking down barriers to get better, so you have to make sure you’re doing everything you can as well.

“I love competing against other people who are constantly pushing me to be better. That’s what keeps me motivated, setting goals every day. If it was easy, I wouldn’t have that same drive every day. I love being pushed, seeing the other girls do well, and continuing to push boundaries.”