Lauren Jeska

Lauren Jeska (born 5 September 1974) is a British former fell runner from Lancaster. Jeska, was convicted of the attempted murder of Ralph Knibbs, HR manager for UK Athletics.

The motivation for the attempted murder was after Knibbs investigated Jeska's eligibility to compete as a woman based on the gender identity of Jeska as a trans woman.

Early life Jeska was born to Pauline and Graham Jameson in Lancaster. Graham Jameson is a mathematician at Lancaster University 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.

Transitioning and fell-running During Easter of 1998 Jeska came out to her parents as a trans woman . While at Leeds, she took up fell-running, finding immediate success in the women's category as runner-up in the Blackshaw Head fell race in 2008. She later joined Todmorden Harriers athletics club, and went on to win the 2010 Three Shires Fell Race, the 2011 Liverpool Half Marathon, the 2010, 2011, and 2012 English, and 2012 British Fell Running Championships.

Attempted murder conviction In June 2015, UK Athletics told Jeska that she would be required to provide blood tests to prove that her hormone levels were within the normal female range.

In March 2016 she attacked Ralph Knibbs, a former professional rugby player and UK Athletics HR manager, with a knife at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Stabbing Knibbs in the head and neck several times: one laceration caused life-threatening blood loss and permanent nerve damage. Tim Begley and Kevan Taylor, employees of UK Athletics who came to Knibbs's aid, were also attacked and injured. The attack left Knibbs with restricted movement, difficulty eating, and limited vision in both eyes Jeska claimed she feared UK Athletics would strip her of her records and her eligibility to compete in the female category. Her racing results were declared null and void. Jeska was found during these investigations to have previously undiagnosed autism.

In March 2017, Jeska was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.