Talan Skeels-Piggins
At the 2010 Winter Paralympics
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 10 September 1970 |
| Sport | |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Sport | Alpine skiing |
Talan Skeels-Piggins (born 10 September 1970 in Bath, Somerset) is a World Champion 600cc (Paralysed category) and British alpine skier. Skeels-Piggins uses a sit-ski in competitions.
Skeels-Piggins is a former Royal Navy fighter controller and PE teacher at St Laurence School, Bradford On Avon. He was paralysed from the chest down following a motorcycle accident in March 2003, which shattered his spine and broke his neck. After his injury he was retained in the Armed Forces and serves as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserves.
He began skiing on a family holiday at the age of nine. Whilst in the navy he was captain of the Scotland, Northern England & Northern Ireland Command Team and was placed fourth overall in the Navy Ski Championships. After his accident he chose to start skiing using a sit-ski with the goal of competing at the Paralympics. He was selected to compete for the Great Britain team 14 months after sustaining his injuries and competes in the LW10/1 classification for athletes with paraplegia with no upper abdominal function and no functional sitting balance.
By 2008 he had reached a world ranking of 5th in the downhill event. At the 2009 World Championships in Korea, he finished 31st in the Super-G and improved on that position with a 26th-placed finish at the 2009 World Cup in Whistler.
In 2010 he won two bronze medals at the NorAm Cup in Kimberly, Canada to secure his qualification for the 2010 Winter Paralympics. He competed for Great Britain at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in the men's slalom, giant slalom and Super-G. His best finish was 15th in the giant slalom; he also finished 25th in the Super-G and 31st in the slalom.
In 2011, together with Russell O'Neill and Halina Tomlinson, Talan founded 'The Bike Experience', a charity established to help motorcycle riders who are now paraplegic to ride again. Based at Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire this is free experience for disabled bikers who would like to ride on a racing circuit:
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