When the Australian Olympic Winter Team competed on the world stage at Milano Cortina 2026, Dr Lari Trease, was there to help ensure the athletes were healthy and ready to compete.
Part of a highly experienced team of Sport and Exercise Physicians, Dr Trease supported athletes throughout the four-year Olympic cycle and during the Games themselves.
“My role was to empower them with strong health literacy and self-management skills so they could step onto the start line ready to do their best,” she says.
“It was both a privilege and a pleasure to support the Australian Olympic Winter Team. The highlight was seeing the athletes arrive happy and ready to perform.”
Based with the cross-country skiing team in Predazzo, Italy, Dr Trease provided day-to-day and on-snow medical support.
“On race days I was in the team kitchen when athletes came in for breakfast, checking that everyone was well,” she says. “I would then travel to the course where I spent the day problem-solving any issues before supporting athlete recovery afterwards.”
During the Olympics, Dr Trease also provided expertise in anti-doping medicine, assisting with Therapeutic Use Exemption applications and reported injury and illness data to the International Olympic Committee.
The experience connects to Dr Trease’s PhD research, which focuses on persistent lower back pain in elite athletes.
“Pain is an everyday experience for Olympic athletes. Being able to apply my research in this elite environment was incredibly rewarding,” she says. “Juggling a PhD with work in elite sport can be challenging, but it’s hugely motivating to see the impact of my research firsthand.”
