Lifetime of service recognised for Linda-Lee2 min read
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A desire to give back to the organisation that helped her and her mother years ago, has earned Linda-Lee Odom a prestigious King’s Service Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Linda-Lee was born with the rare condition, Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, and endured numerous surgeries on her legs and ankles as a child. She wore leg callipers for years and today, while she experiences no arthritic pain, she still has difficulty maintaining her balance.
The solution is her mobility dog, Mr Darby, a Golden Retriever, who provides vital support on uneven surfaces and stairs. Linda-Lee says she could not have the life and freedom she has, without him.
Linda-Lee is philosophical about her disability, saying “It is what it is, and it never stopped me from doing anything.” An attitude, she admits, that sometimes got her into trouble at The Wilson Home for disabled children, where she often found herself in detention for seeking out new adventures.
Sport has been a significant part of Linda-Lee’s life.
She trained with the local swim club at the Jellicoe Park War Memorial Pools, and took part in athletics, excelling in field events like shotput, with Olympic Gold Medallist Yvette Corlett (nee Williams) coaching her.
She also struggled with dyslexia, and earned a university degree in her late thirties.
As part of her desire to give back to CCS Disability Action, Linda-Lee started coaching with Parafed and the Mini Olympics; serving on a number of CCS Disability Action’s Boards and Committees as well as the Auckland Disability Law Steering Group, which provides legal support for disabled people.
Her love for mobility dogs led her to volunteer with the Humane Society of New Zealand Inc. With her first dog, a German Shepard, Linda-Lee visited schools, especially The Wilson Home, where children in wheelchairs loved being towed around. Today, Linda-Lee and Mr Darby, her third dog, offer pet therapy in rest homes and hospitals.
Receiving the KSM was a complete surprise to Linda-Lee. She feels deeply humbled and grateful, and though she has no idea who nominated her, she wishes to express her heartfelt thanks to them.
