Adam Laird Pengilly

Height – 5’10” (178cm)
Weight – 13st 3lbs (84kg)
Born – 1977
Birthplace – Taunton, Somerset
Residence – Bath, UK

As a teenager, I competed in athletics and particularly the multi events disciplines, such as decathlon. The highlight of this career was a bronze medal at the AAA of England Championships in the Under 20 age group.

At 6th Form College, I had a PE teacher who introduced me to bobsleigh. I started at 19 in 1996 and competed through to 2001, making the Great Britain 3 team and competing in the World Junior Champs as a brakeman, where we finished 11th.

I then got offered the job of High Performance Coach for the GB Womens bobsleigh team, and so did this for a year up to and including the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The teams finished 11th and 12th. During that time I was also coaching an Irish Skeleton athlete who went on to finish 4th at the 2002 Olympic Games. I guess I have the unlikely honour of coaching at an Olympics before competing in one!

Then I started skeleton.

In 2002, I made the switch because I wanted to be driving the sled so I could take full responsibility – both in failure and success. Skeleton is also less expensive and more accessible, with a better infrastructure and programme, and I am naturally more suited…

So I haven’t looked back since!


OUTSIDE SKELETON

Committed Christian and member of local evangelical church

Vice Chair, British Athletes Commission

National Olympic Committee - winter sports athlete representative

Part time speaker