Laurence Whiteley
{{short description|British Paralympic rower}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Laurence Whiteley
MBE
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1991|8|29}}
| birth_place = Scarborough
| residence = Caversham, Berkshire
| height = 78 kg
| sport = Rowing
| disability =
| disability_class = TAMix2x
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's para rowing}}
{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}
{{MedalComp|Paralympic Games}}
{{MedalGold|2016 Rio de Janeiro|TA mixed double sculls}}
{{MedalGold|2020 Tokyo|PR2 mixed double sculls}}
{{MedalComp|World Championships}}
{{MedalGold|2019 Ottensheim|PR2 mixed double sculls}}
{{MedalSilver|2015 Aiguebelette|TA mixed double sculls}}
}}
Laurence Whiteley (born 29 August 1991) is a British parasport rower. He won gold with Lauren Rowles in the trunk-arms mixed double sculls (TAMix2x) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.{{cite news |title=Rio Paralympics 2016: Rachel Morris leads triple gold for GB's rowers |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37333473 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 September 2016 |accessdate=11 September 2016}}
Background
Whiteley, who is from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, attended Hurworth House School and Polam Hall School.{{cite web |title=Laurence Whiteley |url=http://46-236-6-208.servers.dedipower.net/gb-rowing-team/biographies/laurence-whiteley |website=GB Rowing |accessdate=12 September 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He competed in triathlons as a youth and was the British Triathlon regional champion for the 13–14 age group. In 2006 at the age of 14 he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (a form of bone cancer) below his right knee,{{cite news |last=Pyrah |first=Lauren |title=Laurence Whiteley, 18, hoping to represent Great Britain |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/5003610.display/ |newspaper=The Northern Echo |date=12 February 2010 |accessdate=11 September 2016}} and was given only a 30% chance of survival by doctors.{{cite news |title=Bone cancer survivor dreams of Paralympic glory |url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/bone-cancer-survivor-dreams-paralympic-3715136 |newspaper=Teesside Gazette |date=25 September 2009 |accessdate=11 September 2016}} He had surgery to remove the tumour, during which his knee joint and part of his fibula were removed, and further surgery to replace the joint and insert titanium rods into his leg. He also had chemotherapy over an 11-month period.{{cite web |title=Sports-mad Laurence battles back from cancer to play again |url=http://www.youngpeopleoftheyear.org/subsite.php?site=yorkshire%2710&page=featuredentries |website=Young People of the Year |accessdate=11 September 2016}} He learned to walk again after a year of physiotherapy.
Career
After his recovery Whiteley initially competed as a swimmer, and was national junior champion at 50 m freestyle in the S10 classification. He took up rowing in 2011 at the Tees Rowing Club, initially competing in the non-Paralympic trunk-arms men's single scull category.{{cite web |title=Laurence Whiteley |url=http://rio.paralympics.org.uk/meet-the-team/athlete-profile/laurence-whiteley |website=Paralympics GB |accessdate=11 September 2016}} Since 2014 he has trained with the national squad in Caversham, Berkshire.{{cite news |last=Neal |first=Martin |title=Gold medal in Paralyampics for Laurence Whiteley of Tees Rowing Club |url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/other-sport/gold-medal-paralyampics-laurence-whiteley-11872464 |work=Teesside Gazette |date=11 September 2016 |accessdate=11 September 2016}}
After searching for over two years for a suitable partner to compete with in Paralympic double sculls,{{cite news |title=Relph delight as British boats dominate Paralympic rowing regatta |url=http://www.eurosport.com/rowing/relph-delight-as-british-boats-dominate-paralympic-rowing-regatta_sto5849370/story.shtml |website=Eurosport |date=11 September 2016 |accessdate=15 September 2016}} Whiteley teamed up with Lauren Rowles, a former wheelchair racer who had recently switched to rowing, in early 2015. Their first major championship together was the 2015 World Rowing Championships, where they won the silver medal in the TAMix2x trunk-arms mixed double sculls.{{cite news |title=Lauren Rowles |url=http://rio.paralympics.org.uk/meet-the-team/athlete-profile/lauren-rowles |website=Paralympics GB |accessdate=11 September 2016}} At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, they set a world record in the heats{{cite web |title=Fast and fabulous: Paralympians hit their peak in Rio |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/fast-and-fabulous-paralympians-hit-their-peak-rio |publisher=International Paralympic Committee |date=9 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914182427/https://www.paralympic.org/news/fast-and-fabulous-paralympians-hit-their-peak-rio |archive-date=14 September 2016}} and went on to win gold in the final.{{cite news |title=Rio Paralympics 2016: Rachel Morris leads triple gold for GB's rowers |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37333473 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 September 2016 |accessdate=11 September 2016}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{BPA profile|laurence-whiteley}}
- {{IPC athlete|laurence-whiteley}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiteley, Laurence}}
Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain
Category:Rowers at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Category:Rowers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
Category:World Rowing Championships medalists for Great Britain
Category:Sportspeople from Northallerton
Category:Sportspeople from Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire