Lauren Burns

Lauren Chantel Burns, OAM, is an Australian taekwondo practitioner and Olympic champion. Born on June 8, 1974, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, she is known for winning Australia's first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Burns competed in the women's under 49 kg class and holds the rank of 3rd dan black belt in taekwondo. Apart from her competitive career, Burns has also ventured into motivational speaking and community work. She is the daughter of singer Ronnie Burns and dancer Maggie Burns (née Stewart) and was inspired to pursue taekwondo by her younger brother and father.