Olympian kicks off new role at the Victorian Institute of Sport
Published: 5 September 2025Olympic gold medalist, Dr Lauren Burns OAM, has been appointed as Chair of the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS), becoming the fourth person to take on the role in the Institute’s 35-year history.
Back in her competitive days, she created sporting history by winning the first Olympic gold medal for Taekwondo when the sport made its debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Shortly after in 2001 she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
A 12-time national champion between 1993 and 2000, Dr Burns also achieved bronze medals at the 1996 World Cup and the 1997 World Championships.
In 2015, she was inducted into the International Taekwondo Hall of Fame, and in 2017 was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Following her retirement from competitive taekwondo, Dr Burns embarked on a successful career in both naturopathy and academia. She holds a PhD in Athlete Lifestyle and Mindset, and her doctoral work has been published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.
As Chair, Dr Burns will help shape the strategic direction of the Institute, playing a key leadership role in supporting athletes and coaches across the VIS.
Dr Burns succeeds Nataly Matijevic who stepped down this year after leading the VIS as Chair for 7 years.
For more information about the VIS see Victorian Institute of Sport and Regional Academies of Sport.