Heidi Gaugain is a Paralympic cyclist and multiple world champion.
Heïdi Gaugain is a Paralympic cyclist, on the road and on the track. She has had her disability since birth since she was born without a left forearm. She got into cycling thanks to her father, “my dad, president of a cycling club, introduced me to his sport in 2016, first with the able-bodied and then with the disabled in 2019” she explains. “I also chose cycling for the ability to surpass myself. It’s a really tough sport” explains the young woman, who loves her native Mayenne. “The main adaptation is for the brake which allows me to brake at the back and the front at the same time. The latter is also equipped with a horn to position her prosthesis and an electric derailleur for gear changes. “Sometimes, my disability could unbalance me, but thanks to these adaptations, I can still perform”
A family story
“The whole family has been into cycling for years. It started with my grandfather who did, for fun, local races. My father did it too, then my brother, who gave me the disease, and so on. And now the girls” explains father Fabrice Gaugain for France 3. A choice that has paid off as evidenced by Heïdi’s track record. She notably won three medals at the World Paralympic Championship in Glasgow in 2023, including the gold medal in the individual pursuit. She also became world champion in 2024 in Rio in the 3km pursuit C5.
Awards
- 2024 – Track World Championships
- Rio de Janeiro: Gold Medal – 3 km pursuit C5
- 2023 – European Road Championships
- Rotterdam: Gold Medal – Time Trial / Gold Medal – Road Race
- 2023 – World Championships
- Glasgow : Gold Medal – WC5 Pursuit / Silver Medal – WC5 Road Race / Bronze Medal – WC5 Time Trial
- 2022 – Track World Championships
- Saint-Quentin in Yvelines (France) : Silver medal in individual pursuit / Bronze medal in omnium
- 2021 – Road World Championships
- Cascais (Portugal) : 4th in the time trial and 6th in the road race
- French Championships
- 2023 : French pursuit and omnium champion
- 2022 : French time trial champion and French vice-champion in road racing / French vice-champion in pursuit and omnium
- 2021 : French champion in time trial and road race / French champion in scratch and omnium
- 2020 : French champion in time trial and road race