Eric Bickerton (born 24 April 1962) is a former member of the Royal Australian Navy who took up skiing in 1990, and has represented the Australian military internationally. In 2008, he became Jessica Gallagher's guide skier for para-alpine skiing. Named to the 2010 Winter Paralympics team for Australia, he and Gallagher earned a bronze medal in the giant slalom event.
 Bickerton in December 2012 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 24 April 1962 | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Para-alpine skiing | ||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Downhill Super-G Giant slalom Slalom[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Paralympic finals | 2010 Winter Paralympics | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Personal
editBickerton was born on 24 April 1962,[1] and was a member of the Royal Australian Navy, actively serving in 1990. He retired from the navy in 2000.[1] He represented the Australian military in rugby union.[1] In 2010, he lived in Southport, Queensland. He is self-employed, and leads ski tours around the world as a guide.[1] He is on the board of Disabled Winter Sport Australia, and serves as the National Technical Delegate Commissioner for Ski & Snowboard Australia.[1]
Skiing
editBickerton is a skier, ski tour guide and para-alpine skiing guide skier.[1] He began skiing in 1990, while serving in the Australian Navy.[1] Representing the Australian military, he finished seventh at the International Military Downhill Championships.[1] Bickerton, Jessica Gallagher's senior by 23 years,[2] became her guide skier in 2008.[1] While skiing, Bickerton communicates through the use of a headset with Gallagher, who is legally blind.[3] In 2009, he guided Gallagher at the 2009 New Zealand Winter Games where she won a gold medal.[1]
Bickerton was named as Gallagher's guide for the Australian 2010 Winter Paralympic team in November 2009.[4][3] At the January 2010 IPC World Cup, Gallagher won a gold medal with Bickerton acting as her guide, the first medal Gallagher had ever won at an IPC World Cup.[1] At a Rinn-hosted 2010 World Cup, Gallagher won bronze in the slalom,[5] and at the January 2010 IPC World Cup in an Abtenau, Austria, she finished third, also in the slalom.[5]
Bickerton was Gallagher's guide when winning a bronze medal in the slalom event at the 2010 Winter Paralympics,[2][6][7] with a combined run time of 2:04.35.[8] Success in the giant slalom eluded them in part because their headsets stopped working.[2]
References
edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Eric Bickerton". Australian Paralympic Committee. 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ a b c "Geelong paralympian medallist to now target London Games". Geelong Advertiser. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ a b Browning, Jennifer (25 November 2009). "Winter Paralympics team biggest yet". ABC Radio Grandstand. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ McDonald, Margie (25 November 2009). "Paralympic Team for Vancouver sprinkled with experience". The Australian. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ a b McDonald, Margie (14 January 2010). "Cameron Rahles-Rahbula runs hot in Vancouver countdown". The Australian.
- ^ "Gallagher looking for London redemption". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 April 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ Kasmarik, Morgan. (15 March 2010) "Gallagher receives Paralympic bronze", Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 November 2012
- ^ "Bourgonje, Forest, Dueck pick up Paralympic medals". CBC Sports. 14 March 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
External links
edit
Wikinews interviews Australian Paralympic skiers Jessica Gallagher and Eric Bickerton at Wikinews- "Gallagher receives Vancouver bronze". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 November 2012. Photograph of Bickerton and Gallagher with their medals
