Truong became Swiss U23 cross-country champion in 2011. However, she soon discovered her passion for enduro racing, where she quickly celebrated her first successes. Her new career took off when the Enduro World Series was founded in 2013. She worked part-time in the development department at BMC and dedicated the rest of her time to training. Step by step, she made her way to the top of the world rankings and was soon one of the top five female riders in the world.

Crashes are part of everyday life in mountain biking. But an accident at the Enduro World Series race in Samoëns in 2015 changed everything. Lorraine suffered severe brain trauma. Previous head injuries, which initially seemed harmless, had accumulated. In the end, one fall was one too many.

The long road back to life

At the age of 25, she initially hoped to be able to train again after a few weeks. But weeks turned into months. The sporting ambition soon gave way to a much more fundamental goal: to find her way back into life. Initially, this meant mastering everyday things, then step by step leading a life with less pain and regaining some normality. Each step forward was a hard-earned milestone.

Persistent exhaustion increasingly robbed her of her mobility. The wheelchair became a valuable support and opened up new paths for her. In WCMX, a wheelchair sport with tricks in the skate park, she discovered a new form of expression. At first she celebrated small successes, then bigger and bigger ones. In December 2022, she finally became world champion in WCMX. At the same time, she drew public attention to the difficulties that people with complex health problems face on a daily basis. Lorraine became the voice of many young athletes with disabilities.

A life between hope and hurdles

This new sporting chapter was also marked by setbacks. Lorraine not only struggled with the consequences of her illness, but also with a system that repeatedly left her alone. She spoke openly about the fact that, despite new standards, there was often a lack of willingness in Paralympic sport to seriously acknowledge individual realities of life. Her career was abruptly ended - without a transparent explanation and without the opportunity to defend herself against it.

This experience called into question many things that were important to her and weighed heavily on her. She described the institutional powerlessness, whether in sport, insurance or society, as grueling. Despite everything, Lorraine remained hopeful. Her voice was quiet but clear, and it carried far. She fought not only for herself, but also for others. For a system with more understanding, for a society with more compassion. Her courage, her openness and her fighting heart made her an inspiring personality beyond sport. 

Her heart beat for fairness, freedom and movement until the very end - be it on two wheels, on four wheels or simply in life. But her strength waned and Lorraine reached the final stage of her journey. She passed away on June 10.

Rest in peace, dear Lorraine.

Lorraine rests at the Pagliotti frères funeral home (Av. du Gd-St-Bernard 68, 1920 Martigny), where relatives and friends can bid her farewell on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15, 2025. The final farewell ceremony will take place on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 2.30 pm outdoors on the "Charançon" plot above Vollèges near Verbier - just as Lorraine would have wished.