Eric Bickerton (born 24 April 1962) is a former member of the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

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 Para-alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. The sport evolved from the efforts of disabled veterans in Germany and Austria during and after the Second World War. The sport is governed by the International ...

. Named to the

2010 Winter Paralympics The 2010 Winter Paralympics (), or the tenth Paralympic Winter Games, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, from March 12 to 21, 2010. The opening ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing ...

team for Australia, he and Gallagher earned a bronze medal in the giant slalom event.

Personal

Bickerton was born on 24 April 1962, and was a member of the

, actively serving in 1990. He retired from the navy in 2000. He represented the Australian military in rugby union. In 2010, he lived in

Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...

, Queensland. He is self-employed, and leads ski tours around the world as a guide. He is on the board of

Disabled Winter Sport Australia Disabled Wintersport Australia (DWA) was established in 1978 as the Australian Disabled Skiers Federation. Its current mission is "to promote and foster the advancement of participation by people with a disability in wintersport both in Australia ...

, and serves as the National Technical Delegate Commissioner for Ski & Snowboard Australia.

Skiing

Bickerton is a skier, ski tour guide and

guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...

skier. He began skiing in 1990, while serving in the Australian Navy. Representing the Australian military, he finished seventh at the International Military Downhill Championships. Bickerton, Jessica Gallagher's senior by 23 years, became her guide skier in 2008. While skiing, Bickerton communicates through the use of a headset with Gallagher, who is legally blind. In 2009, he guided Gallagher at the 2009 New Zealand Winter Games where she won a gold medal. Bickerton was named as Gallagher's guide for the Australian 2010 Winter Paralympic team in November 2009. 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. At a Rinn-hosted 2010 World Cup, Gallagher won bronze in the slalom, and at the January 2010 IPC World Cup in an Abtenau, Austria, she finished third, also in the slalom. Bickerton was Gallagher's guide when winning a bronze medal in the slalom event at the

,Kasmarik, Morgan. (15 March 2010)
Gallagher receives Paralympic bronze
,

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

. Retrieved 8 November 2012 with a combined run time of 2:04.35. Success in the giant slalom eluded them in part because their headsets stopped working.

References

External links

* * Photograph of Bickerton and Gallagher with their medals {{DEFAULTSORT:Bickerton, Eric 1962 births Australian male alpine skiers Alpine skiers at the 2010 Winter Paralympics Paralympic alpine skiers for Australia Medalists at the 2010 Winter Paralympics Paralympic bronze medalists for Australia Living people Paralympic medalists in alpine skiing Place of birth missing (living people) 20th-century Australian sportsmen