Fighting Spirit

When Lauren Burns won a gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, she became an instant Australian hero and the proverbial ‘overnight sensation’. But her journey was a difficult and demanding one, involving years of preparation. Here for the first time is the full story behind Lauren’s outstanding achievement.


With characteristic warmth and sincerity, she shares stories of her unconventional family life – including growing up as the daughter of famous pop singer Ronnie Burns – and how she began her love affair with taekwondo. Seven years of national and international success in the sport fully lead to Olympic gold, but along the way she was beaten with a bamboo stick during a training camp in Korea, suffered numerous injuries and almost had to starve herself to make the -49kg class in her event.


In Fighting Spirit you will read the intimate details of Lauren’s road to success – the sacrifices required, what it was like to be part of the Australian team at the Olympic village and, finally, the fight that resulted in the gold medal – and how she has dealt with her post-Games celebrity. 


Compelling and provocative, Lauren Burns’ autobiography reveals a young woman who continues to inspire with her courage and fighting spirit.




About the Author: 



Lauren Burns competed internationally in taekwondo from 1993 to 2000 and was Australian National Taekwondo Champion twelve times. She won medals at World Championship and World Cup events in 1996 and 1997 and gold at the US Open in 1999. Her crowning glory in taekwondo was winning the gold medal in the under 49 kilogram class at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Since the Olympics Lauren has been sharing her experiences by conducting motivational presentations, taekwondo demonstrations and self-defence workshops for people of all ages. She is a qualified naturopath (BHSc) and is a mother of 2 beautiful children. Lauren lives in Melbourne.