Talan Skeels-Piggins is an inspiring British athlete and Paralympian known for his achievements in alpine skiing and competitive motorcycle racing. Having represented Great Britain at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympic Games after facing adversity and overcoming it, Talan is the emblem of mental resilience and tenacity. As a seasoned keynote speaker, Talan shares the lessons his incredible career has taught him – going beyond the ordinary, how to succeed in the face of challenge, and performance development.
After a severe motorcycle accident in 2003 left him paralysed from the chest down, Talan took on adaptive skiing, eventually representing Great Britain at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver. Competing in events like the giant slalom, super-G, and slalom, his best finish was 15th place in the giant slalom. Soon after he claimed the title of European Champion in 2011. Beyond skiing, he has become a formidable presence in motorcycle racing, where he became the world’s first paraplegic to earn an ACU racing license and compete against able-bodied racers.
In 2015 and 2018, he won the 600cc paraplegic category at the Bridgestone World Cup in Italy, underscoring his success in adaptive motorcycle sports. Talan also founded The Bike Experience, a charity dedicated to helping paraplegic riders return to motorcycling, reflecting his commitment to empowering others facing similar challenges. An author too, Talan published a children's book, “The Little Person Inside”, in which he tells his story in a way that highlights the importance of positive thinking and self-belief.
Selected to carry the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games Flame, Talan is a revered former Paralympian. He is also a fully qualified EMCC Practitioner and has been mentoring professional footballers, Paralympic Gold Medallists and several other prominent figures for several years. He is currently a Mentor at The True Athlete Project & Finito. He offers one-to-one mentoring as well as advisory counselling. When you hire Talan to speak at an event, you are not just hiring a former Paralympian, you are hiring an inspirational figure who is equally talented as a business mentor & performance development coach. If you are looking for a keynote speaker who can instil within your audience the spirit of mental resilience, high performance and overcoming adversity, look no further than Talan Skeels-Piggins!
How to hire Talan Skeels-Piggins
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Talan Skeels-Piggins for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
Feedback from In-Person Events:
"Talan came to speak to us at Visa in recognition of Disability and Inclusion week. As part of key sponsors of the Olympics and Paralympics we were keen to have a Paralympian come in and talk to us about their journey. Talan has been on one hell of a journey….and from start to finish he had his audience in the palm of his hands. I don’t know anyone in that room who wasn’t touched by his grit, determination and mental power to come from what felt like rock bottom to competing in the Winter Paralympics for team GB….but not just that his passion for Motor biking, sailing…..this man is unstoppable. And for all of us at Visa this talk is not something we will forget in a hurry. A true inspiration no doubt for anyone who thinks they won’t give it a go, or don’t think they can. Talan's view on life…just give it a go… you never know." - VISA
"Talan’s presentation at Justice Digital was nothing short of exceptional. We have had many inspirational speakers before but Talan’s delivery was on a different level entirely. His narrative, rooted in resilience and determination, resonated deeply with our colleagues. Feedback from our colleagues include ‘Talan was fantastic’; ‘phenomenal’; ‘far and away the highlight of the day for me was Talan Skeels-Piggins’; ‘I’ll take lessons from Talan into my professional and personal life’. Our colleagues were moved by Talan’s authenticity and warmth as a speaker. He is a truly motivational and inspirational speaker who’s given our colleagues lessons and advice that will last a lifetime." - MOJ
"Your talk at BA changed everything for me… I am bold and brave and not afraid if things don’t go to plan! Yes let’s celebrate our lives the good bad and ugly." - British Airways
"Talan Skeels-Piggins is a must have speaker for any organisation. We had the pleasure of having him as a guest speaker during one of our virtual Global Leadership events and he blew everyone away. We received many comments in the chat, emails and private messages about his inspirational story – his life. On it’s own, the story is incredible but what makes it even better is the way he tells it. Talan is genuine, dynamic and clear communicator. He makes you feel the story, not just hear it. His “little person inside” has stuck with our leaders and has helped drive change and motivation. I must say that Talan was also easy to work with. He is flexible and readily available. I look forward to more events where we can hear from Talan and would recommend him to any organisation." - DB Schenker
"The room was silent for 60 minutes, you could have heard a pin drop. The team were blown away by Talan's engagement and normally extrovert members of my team were silent after, reflective of what can be achieved if men-tally you believe. Even now my team when we have challenging objectives to meet will reference Talan and be clear that they have more mental capacity to discover in order to help them achieve their goals. Thank you Talan for not only inspiring myself to reach my personal aspirations but helping in the very infancy of a newly formed team, their mental capacity to stretch and believe." - Marks & Spencers
"Hi Talan, I just wanted to pass on our thanks for your inspirational and challenging speech last week in Leeds on Friday. All week I have had people coming up to me to say how well you engaged them and have changed perspectives, with it being the highlight of the two days for everyone. We even utilised your ‘Talan steps’ in the afternoon of the 5th to help us break down our big goals into more manageable chunks. I wish you all the very best of luck in your exciting adventures and will be strongly recommending you in and out City & Guilds. Thanks again." - Chris, Head of Customer Strategy & Sales Planning UK Commercial, City & Guilds
- 2024 – Selected to be Part of the Paris Paralympic Games Flame Relay
- 2024 – Invited to speak at Visa’s Disability Inclusion Week
- 2023 – Speaker at The London Snow Show
- 2022 – Mentor, Finito
- 2021 – Author of “The Little Person Inside”
- 2020 – Mentor, The True Athlete Project
- 2015 – World Champion at the Bridgestone World Cup
- 2013 – Silver Medallist at the IPC NorAm Adaptive SBX Competition
- 2011 – Awarded an Honorary Masters from University of Chichester
- 2011 – Instructor & Founder, The Bike Experience
- 2010 – Associate, EY Lane4
- 2010 – Represented Great Britain at the Vancouver Winter Paralympics
- 2002 – Lieutenant, Royal Navy
- 1997 – Project Manager, AEA Technology
- 1991 – Lieutenant, Royal Navy
- Member of the EDI Committee at The Company of Entrepreneurs
