{{Short description|Paralympic cyclist and mountain climber}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{MedalTableTop | medals = {{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }} <!-- -->{{MedalSport | Women's road cycling }} {{MedalCompetition | Paralympic Games }} {{MedalGold | 2016 Rio | Road time trial H1-3 }} {{MedalSilver | 2012 London | Road time trial H1-2 }} {{MedalSport | Women's Paratriathlon }} {{MedalCompetition | World Championships }} {{MedalGold | 2012 Auckland | TRI 1 }} {{MedalSilver|2013 London|TRI 1}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalGold|2014 Kitzbühel|PT1}} {{MedalBronze|2017 Kitzbühel|PTWC}} }}
'''Karen Darke''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} FRSGS (born 25 June 1971) is a British paralympic cyclist, paratriathlete, adventurer and author.<ref name=pgb>{{cite web|title=Karen Darke|url=http://www.paralympics.org.uk/gb/athletes/karen-darke|publisher=paralympics.org.uk|accessdate=11 September 2012|archive-date=11 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911022235/http://www.paralympics.org.uk/gb/athletes/karen-darke|url-status=dead}}</ref> She competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics winning Gold in the Women's road time trial, following her success in the 2012 London Paralympics winning a silver medal in the Women's road time trial H1-2.<ref name=silver>{{cite news|title=Halifax-born Karen Darke wins Paralympic Games silver|work=BBC News|date=6 September 2012|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-19503458|accessdate=11 September 2012}}</ref>
Darke was born in Halifax, Yorkshire. She is paralysed from the chest down following an accident, aged 21, whilst sea cliff climbing.<ref name=silver/> In 1996 she first hand-cycled across the Himalaya from Kazakhstan to Pakistan, through the Indian Himalaya in 2005 and 2018, and across the Tibetan Plateau in 2014. In 2002 she was part of a team sea kayaking from Canada to Alaska (Vancouver to Juneau, 10 weeks kayaking). In 2006, she took part in an expedition which crossed Greenland's ice cap whilst sitting on skis using her arms and poles to cover the 372-mile crossing. She has also climbed Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan and hand-cycled, skied and kayaked the length of Japan. In 2009, she was a bronze medal winner in the Para-Cycling World Cup after which, in 2010, she became a member of the British Para-Cycling team. She has won two silver medals in the women's H2 road race and time trial events at the 2011 Para-Cycling World Cup which took place in Sydney.<ref name=pgb/>
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, on 5 September 2012, she won a silver medal in the Women's road time trial H1–2 finishing second to Marianna Davis in a time of 33:16.09. In the Women's road race H1-3 competition, on 7 September 2012, Darke finished fourth. After crossing the finishing line holding hands with teammate Rachel Morris, both in a time of 1:43:08, Morris was awarded the bronze medal.<ref name=4th>{{cite web|title=Darke misses out on Paralympic medal for holding hands|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/darke-misses-paralympic-medal-holding-hands-103408416.html|publisher=Yahoo!|accessdate=11 September 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911014928/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/darke-misses-paralympic-medal-holding-hands-103408416.html|archivedate=11 September 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
In October 2012, she competed in her first ITU Paratriathlon World Championships. She won the gold medal in her TRI-1 classification.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2012_itu_world_triathlon_grand_final_auckland/7941|title=2012 Barfoot&Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final Auckland : Paratriathlon Female TRI-1 : Results|publisher=International Triathlon Union}}</ref> She went on to compete for Scotland in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia, finishing 4th.
In 2014 Darke took a silver medal in the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in South Carolina in the H3 time-trial,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/29001748 |title=Para-Cycling: Karen Darke & David Stone among medals for GB |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=30 August 2014 |publisher=BBC|access-date=1 September 2014}}</ref> following it up with a bronze in the H3 road race.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/29026572 |title=PPara-Cycling: David Stone & Karen Darke add to GB medal tally |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2 September 2014 |publisher=BBC|access-date=2 September 2014}}</ref>
On 14 September 2016 Darke won the gold medal in the Women's time trial H1-3 at the Rio Paralympics in a time of 33:44:93.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/cycling-road-standings-cr-womens-time-trial-h1-2-3 |title=Women's Time Trial H1-2-3 – Standings |date=14 September 2016 |website=Rio2016.com |publisher=Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=14 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922212720/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/cycling-road-standings-cr-womens-time-trial-h1-2-3 |archivedate=22 September 2016 }}</ref>
Darke is an ambassador for World Jenny's Day, a non-profit charitable organisation that brings awareness to teen suicide, and looks to normalise conversations around mental health. For her part, Darke will be riding across the 'Rooftop of Africa' on specially designed hand-powered trikes in August 2023, as a World Jenny's Day fundraiser endorsed by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.<ref>{{cite news |title=Supported By Rishi Sunak – The Amazing Mother of Daughter Suicide Victim Changing the World |url=https://www.psychreg.org/supported-rishi-sunak-amazing-mother-of-daughter-suicide-victim-changing-world/ |access-date=15 July 2023 |publisher=Psychreg |date=10 July 2023}}</ref>
Darke was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to sport, particularly cycling and triathlon.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61803|supp=y|page=N17|date=31 December 2016}}</ref>
==Personal life== Darke graduated from the University of Leeds in 1992 with a degree in Chemistry and Geological Science. Darke has a doctorate in geology from the University of Aberdeen which she gained in 1996 and an MA from the University of Cumbria in development training and diplomas in performance coaching and traditional Chinese medicine.<ref name=pgb/> She has since studied a BA in Psychology and Spanish (Open University) and a Masters in Sports Psychology and High Performance Coaching at UNISPORT (Barcelona). Her long-term partner was the climber Andy Kirkpatrick.
She has honorary doctorate degrees from The University of Aberdeen, Abertay University in Dundee, another from the University of Leeds, and from the University of Cumbria, and from Sheffield Hallam University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1057983/paralympic-cyclist-darke-to-receive-honorary-degree-from-abertay-university-in-dundee|title = Paralympic cyclist Darke to receive honorary degree from Abertay University in Dundee| date=16 November 2017 }}</ref>
==Books== ''She has written three books:''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.karendarke.com/books/|title=Books – Karen Darke}}</ref> *''If You Fall'' (2006) *''Boundless'' (2012) *''Quest 79: Find your inner gold'' (2017)
==Websites==
* [https://www.pop.karendarke.com The Pole of Possibilities]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * [https://www.echio.co.uk/podcast/karen-darke An interview with Karen]
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Darke, Karen}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the Open University Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Category:Alumni of the University of Cumbria Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds Category:English track cyclists Category:British track cyclists Category:Paralympic cyclists for Great Britain Category:Cyclists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain Category:Paralympic silver medalists for Great Britain Category:English female cyclists Category:Paratriathletes Category:English female triathletes Category:English mountain climbers Category:British female climbers Category:Sportspeople from Halifax, West Yorkshire Category:People with paraplegia Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Category:Cyclists from Yorkshire Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:Triathletes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Category:Paralympic medalists in cycling Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Scotland Category:Scottish female cyclists Category:British female cyclists Category:People associated with Abertay University Category:21st-century English sportswomen