Lara was born in West Yorkshire in 1974. She was born profoundly deaf to hearing parents and has two older brothers, one of whom is also profoundly deaf. She studied at St Johns School for the Deaf and Harrogate College before attending the University of Wolverhampton. She graduated with an Honours degree in Sports and Deaf Studies. After working as a lecturer at Wolverhampton for a year Lara was offered the role of presenter on the Saturday morning BBC Television series 'See Hear'.
