07/04/2026
You may have met our occupational therapist Lynn Maree, but did you know she was recently tearing up the slopes at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games?! ⛷️
Lynn Maree has been a sighted guide for Para Nordic athlete Taryn Dickens since 2024, and they competed together in the Para biathlon (a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting) and Para cross-country skiing events in Italy.
When Taryn was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, a degenerative eye condition, at 36-years-old, she decided she wanted to take on a new challenge. She went from having no background in cross-country skiing to competing at the Paralympics in just three-and-a-half years. Learning to be a guide was a new challenge for Lynn Maree too.
"I was coming from a competitive skiing background,” she said, “and usually I don’t talk during my races, nor do I turn around to look behind to ensure the skier behind me is okay. But that is the world of guiding – I am constantly speaking into a microphone which is projected through a small speaker I wear around my waist so Taryn can hear my instructions. I am communicating what technique to use on that specific section of racetrack, as well as track directions and conditions as I ski in front of Taryn. On downhills we are connected by my ski pole which Taryn holds at the end of the basket. This offers physical guidance and allows us to stay in touch at speed.”
Lynn Maree is grateful for the support of the rehab team at Albury Wodonga Private Hospital to pursue this level of competition, and considers her involvement in para-sport a highlight of her sporting career.
“I am in awe of what para-athletes overcome on a daily basis and how they have pushed themselves to be the best they can be in their chosen sport. They are sporting role models, truly motivating and inspiring others to be the best they can be in life.”
