British Paralympian Talan Skeels-Piggins has put his monoski away after the 2010 Winter Games and is using the Castle Combe circuit to launch a new career in motorcycle racing.

The 39-year-old from Bath was one of seven British skiers in action at the Vancouver Games, placing 15th in the Giant Slalom, 32nd in the Slalom and recording his team’s highest placing in the Super-G when he came home 25th.

Despite being left paraplegic after being hit by a car whilst riding a motorbike, there is nowhere Skeels-Piggins feels happier than riding at great speeds around the Wiltshire’s Castle Combe circuit on high-powered machines.

“I set myself the goal of coming to the 2010 Paralympics seven years ago,” Skeels-Piggins told Press Association Sport.

“I love to have goals and I’ve already set myself a new goal and that is to compete in able-bodied motorcycle racing.”

The ParalympicsGB skier has two Suzuki motorbikes, a 1000cc Super Sport bike and an SV650 he is hoping to race in the MiniTwins Race Series, subject to the approval of the Auto Cycle Union.

“I ride them around Castle Combe racetrack where the staff are fantastic and the instructors are supportive of me in my plan to go and race,” he said.

“So this summer I’ve got to do more track days, I want go to some of the race schools and then I have to have an inspection by the Auto Cycle Union, who will see if I can race a motorbike and pose no threat to any other of the bikers.”

If successful, Skeels-Piggins will race his SV650 that is being fitted with a set of stabilisers currently being designed at the University of Bath’s engineering department for a final-year student’s project.

“I’m really looking forward to this one. It’s something completely different because it’s entering into able-bodied sport.

“It will be self-financed until somebody thinks it sounds like a good idea and wants to help me out. The skiing has always been self-financed until the last few years when I’ve been really fortunate in having sponsorship and it will be the same for the motorcycling.”

Skeels-Piggins is not daunted by the prospect of racing bikes, although he admitted there are other people that still need convincing.

“I’ve never raced a bike before,” he said. “I used to have a bike before and ended up in a wheelchair but it should be an exciting summer, although my mum isn’t very happy.

“She thought I would have learned my lesson having been knocked off my bike and then paralysed. But my mum and dad have watched me at Castle Combe, they’ve seen the safe environment that you’re in.”