A visually impaired para athlete and the guide. Dittman explained guides these days use radio, but when he was competing the guide would just have to loudly yell directions.

By Tommy Osborne

Local Paralympian

Former Paralympian from Prince George thrilled to see World Para Nordics in our community

Mar 9, 2024 | 4:11 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The 2024 Para Biathlon World Championships is wrapping up, but next week the action will continue at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club as the Para Nordic World Cup Finals is set to begin on March 12. While many community members and volunteers have enjoyed seeing the world’s top para athletes in action, former Paralympian Kris Dittman is especially excited that Prince George is able to hold an event of this caliber.

“I think it’s great. I think just to have any of the exposure. And this is actually the second time because it was here in 2019 as well, so it’s not the first time we’ve been introduced to the para Nordic skiing,” Dittman said.

Dittman is a two time paralympian, having competed as a Nordic skier at the 1992 winter paralympics in Albertville, France, and the 1994 winter paralympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Beyond just enjoying the games itself, Dittman says he’s particularly enjoyed seeing the evolution of the sport.

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“It’s great just to see the competitors and some of the techniques that people are using today, compared with what we were dealing with 30 years ago. Having competed as a visually impaired athlete, one of the big notices or big changes is the use of radios between the guides and the skier. It was all just verbal between the guide and the skier. In Norway, there was one individual that was just starting to use the radios, but the majority of skiers and guides, it was just guys yelling at you,” Dittman said.

30 years removed from his competing days in the paralympics, Dittman is happy to see how much the para sports in general has grown.

“I think that has to do with just the visibility of some of the para Nordic or para athletes in general, whether it be summer games or winter games for any of the events, There’s more events happening nowadays. The first year I went in ’92, it was strictly Alpine in Nordic skiing. In the Nordic side there was still the biathlon, but it was quite a bit smaller. Now, they’ve got hockey and curling and any number of events,” he said.

Dittman spent most of last week watching the Para Biathlon World Championships, and he plans on enjoying the upcoming Para Nordic World Cup Finals, which will run from March 12-17.

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