use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
, death_place =
, death_cause =
, body_discovered =
, resting_place =
, resting_place_coordinates =
, burial_place =
, burial_coordinates =
, nationality = British
, citizenship =
, education =
, alma_mater =
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
Leeds University
, mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased
, established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds
, ...
HM Prison Foston Hall
HM Prison Foston Hall is a women's closed category prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in the village of Foston in Derbyshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
History
The original Manor of Foston and ...
Lauren Jeska (born 5 September 1974) is a British former
fell runner
Fell running, also sometimes known as hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off-road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty. The name arises from the origins of the English sport o ...
trans woman
A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and so ...
, was convicted of the
attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime of attempt in various jurisdictions.
Canada
Section 239 of the ''Criminal Code'' makes attempted murder punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. If a gun is used, the minimum sentence is four, five or seven ye ...
of
Ralph Knibbs
Ralph Andrew Knibbs is an English former rugby union player who played for Bristol.
Rugby career
He made his debut as a seventeen-year-old against Pontypridd RFC in 1982, scoring with his first touch of the ball.HR manager for
UK Athletics
UK Athletics (UKA) is the governing body for the sport of athletics (sport), athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics o ...
after Knibbs investigated Jeska's eligibility to compete as a woman.
Early life
Jeska was born to parents Pauline and Graham Jameson. Graham Jameson is a mathematician at
Lancaster University
Lancaster University (legally The University of Lancaster) is a public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several pla ...
and both parents are active in Lancaster Baptist Church. She had two younger twin brothers, one of whom had mental health issues and took his own life.
Jeska went to
Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Lancaster Royal Grammar School (LRGS) is a selective grammar school (day and boarding) for boys aged 11–18 in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. Old students belong to The Old Lancastrians. The school's sixth form opened to girls in 2019. LRGS i ...
, running on the cross-country team. She went on to
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, where she studied physics, gaining a first. Jeska began studying for a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
there but dropped out of the course. She later attended
Leeds University
, mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased
, established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds
, ...
, gaining a master's in 2006 in Gender, Sexuality and Queer Theory.
Transitioning and fell-running
During Easter of 1998 Jeska came out to her parents as a
trans woman
A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and so ...
, and had a
gonadectomy
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which an individual loses use of the testicles: the male gonad. Surgical castration is bilateral orchiectomy (excision of both testicles), while chemical castration uses pharmaceu ...
in 2000. While at Leeds, she took up fell-running, finding immediate success, winning the Blackshaw Head fell race in 2008. She later joined
Todmorden
Todmorden ( ; ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Upper Calder Valley in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. It is north-east of Manchester, south-east of Burnley and west of Halifax, West Yorkshire, Hal ...
Harriers athletics club, and went on to win the 2010
Three Shires Fell Race
The Three Shires Fell Race is an annual Lake District fell race held in September, starting and finishing at the Three Shires Inn in Little Langdale. After an initial run along the valley, the route climbs steeply to Wetherlam, then down to Priso ...
, the 2011
Liverpool Half Marathon
The Liverpool Half Marathon is a British annual road running event held on the streets of Liverpool. It has previously been sponsored by Vitality and Mizuno Corporation.
Overview
The course generally starts in Liverpool city centre, the city c ...
, the 2010, 2011, and 2012
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, and 2012
British Fell Running Championships The first British Fell Running Championships, then known as Fell Runner of the Year, were held in 1972 and the scoring was based on results in all fell races. In 1976 this was changed to the runner's best ten category A races and further changes t ...
. After moving to Wales she joined Aberystwyth Athletics Club.
Attempted murder
In June 2015, UK Athletics told Jeska that she would be required to provide blood tests to prove that her hormone levels were within normal female range, as there was no documentation for Jeska's 2000 castration. Jeska took exception as she felt it would reveal her transgender status publicly. She failed to provide the samples required.
In March 2016 she attacked
Ralph Knibbs
Ralph Andrew Knibbs is an English former rugby union player who played for Bristol.
Rugby career
He made his debut as a seventeen-year-old against Pontypridd RFC in 1982, scoring with his first touch of the ball.Alexander Stadium
Alexander Stadium is a track and field athletics stadium in Perry Park, Birmingham, England. It hosted the athletics and opening/closing ceremonies of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Other events held there include the annual British Grand Prix ...
, in Birmingham. Jeska stabbed Knibbs in the head and neck, resulting in a 2 cm hole with blood pumping out. She claimed she feared UK Athletics would strip her of her records and her eligibility to compete against female athletes. Jeska also attacked Tim Begley and Kevan Taylor, employees of UKA who came to Knibbs's aid.
In September 2016, she pleaded guilty to attempted murder, plus two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Begley and Taylor, and weapons charges for knife possession.
On 15 November 2016, she was scheduled to be detained in hospital under the
Mental Health Act 1983
The Mental Health Act 1983 (c.20) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It covers the reception, care and treatment of mentally disordered people, the management of their property and other related matters, forming part of the ment ...
, but the hearing was adjourned for a month pending further psychiatric reports. Jeska was found during these investigations to have
autism
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
.
In March 2017, Jeska was jailed for 18 years for the crimes, which severed nerves in Knibbs's body, leaving him with restricted movement, difficulty eating, and limited vision in both eyes.
Jeska is currently serving her sentence at
HM Prison Foston Hall
HM Prison Foston Hall is a women's closed category prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in the village of Foston in Derbyshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
History
The original Manor of Foston and ...
in
Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
. Her racing results were declared null and void.
See also
*
Transgender people in sports
The participation of transgender people in competitive sports, a traditionally sex-segregated institution, is a controversial issue, particularly the inclusion of transgender women and girls in women's sports.
Opponents argue that transgender ...