Para Biathlete & Para Cross-Country Skier | Able Seaman | Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games Hopeful
From a Navy workshop to the biathlon range, Able Seaman Taryn Dickens has turned a life-altering diagnosis into a platform, pairing endurance on the trails with calm, disciplined shooting on the mat. She’s working to re‑establish Australia in the Para‑Nordic sports of Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing and show others what’s possible when you back yourself and your team.
As a Team Partner proudly supporting the next generation of Winter Paraathletes, Harvey Norman is backing Taryn Dickens on her path from grassroots to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
At-a Glance
Sport: Parabiathlon & Paracross-country skiing
Disciplines:
- Para biathlon VI – B3
- Paracross-country (VI – B3)
Paralympic Games:
- Milano Cortina 2026 hopeful
Career Highlights and Achievements:
- International vision‑impaired classification B3 confirmed (late 2023).
- Selected to Biathlon Australia National Para Team (2024–25).
- Attended IBU Para-biathlon Development Camp in Hochfilzen, Austria, (2024)
- Placed second on the podium at the ParaNordic Continental Cup, Canmore, Canada (Nov 2025)
- Lifted range accuracy to 85% on day two at the Australian Biathlon Championships (2025)
From service to snow
Taryn enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 2017 as a weapons rate electronics technician. Outside of service, sport had always been a constant in her life – from soccer and cycling to hiking – but everything changed in May 2022, when she first stepped onto skis.
Just two weeks later, she lined up for the 42km Kangaroo Hoppet at Falls Creek. It was there she felt the spark, a quiet certainty that she’d found her arena.
“He (Steven Bradbury) was able to race his race, maintain his speed, stay with the pack and stay composed and focused… He raced his own race, which is what I try to do.”
Source: Paralympics Australia – Taryn Dickens athlete profile
Diagnosis, decision and a new direction
In 2019, Taryn was diagnosed with cone‑rod dystrophy, a degenerative retinal condition that causes severe light sensitivity and reduced peripheral vision. Early on, she admitted herself to a mental health unit – a reset that helped her adapt to new realities at work and in her daily life.
With the support of Gigi, her assistance dog, and practical workplace adjustments, her independence and routine returned, step by step.
“I actually feel like [my disability] is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Source: ABC News (Elizabeth Wright), 11 December 2025.
Building speed and composure
Late 2023 brought Taryn’s B3 international classification – the green light to pursue the world stage alongside sighted guide LynnMaree Cullen, a decorated biathlete and cross‑country skier.
Together, they’ve established trust and clearly defined roles: Lynn sets the line and pace; Taryn brings the engine and the focus, then down‑regulates on the mat to shoot with an audio‑guided rifle.
The hard work shows. That progress earned Taryn selection to Biathlon Australia’s National Para Team (2024–25) and an invitation to the IBU Parabiathlon Development Camp in Austria, where she continued to hone her craft.
At the Australian Biathlon Championships, she navigated the highs and lows of elite competition. An early fall tested her, but she steadied herself, lifting her range accuracy under the pressure of penalty-based racing.
In November 2025, she opened the northern winter campaign with a podium finish in Canmore, Canada over 5km VI, a milestone shaped by years of dedicated work on both speed and shooting.
What sport gives back
Taryn credits sport with restoring structure and purpose at a time when clarity felt out of reach. She represented Australia in 2023 at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, competing in cycling, powerlifting and rowing, using the experience to learn how to travel and compete with low vision.
Off the snow, she advocates for participation, showing that it’s possible to start later, learn quickly and aim high with the right support team behind you.
“It would mean so much to be a part of the team… to know that I have worked so hard to make it to the highest level I can in a sport, it would mean I could look people in the eye and say, ‘You can do it’.”
Source: Paralympics Australia – Taryn Dickens athlete profile.
On the road to Milano Cortina
Australia hasn’t had a ParaNordic representative at the Paralympic Winter Games since 2010. Taryn is headed towards Milano Cortina 2026 as Australia’s leading vision‑impaired biathlete and cross‑country skier, with final team selection to be confirmed soon.
From first discovering snow to chasing selection in just a few seasons, Taryn’s story is about momentum, teamwork and staying calm under pressure. Harvey Norman is proud to support her as she pushes for the green and gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.