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Assumption College Student Goes for Olympic Gold in Skeleton Racing

Worcester, MA - After speaking with Patrick Biggins of Worcester, one gets the sense that the more out of the ordinary something is, the more interested he will be in trying it. Take his educational interests for example—Patrick is majoring in Social Rehabilitation Services with a minor in Women’s Studies. “I’ve been studying women all my life, so I might as well get a degree in it,” he jokes. Patrick is the only male student currently enrolled in the Women’s Studies program.

His extracurricular activities are no less intriguing. Biggins is currently knitting shawls for a volunteer project sponsored by the Reach Out Center at Assumption. The Comfort Shawl Project offers handmade blankets and wraps for patients in local hospitals. Patrick is also a START Retreat Coordinator with the Office of Campus Ministry and is involved in the Campus Activities Board (CAB).

But it is Patrick’s newest hobby of skeleton racing that has caught the attention of many at Assumption. Biggins, who is a member of the Assumption track team, was recently chosen to attend the United States Bobsled Federation (USBSF) developmental club training in Lake Placid, NY. Biggins, who competes in the pole vault, high jump, triple jump and long jump in track competition, was noticed this past summer at the Bay State Games. Recruiters for the USBSF, the association that oversees Olympic bobsled, luge and skeleton sledding, were impressed with Patrick’s jumping skills and asked him to attend the week long camp in late November. Biggins had no idea what skeleton racing was, but he went to Lake Placid anyway, with the intention of finding out. “Skeleton racing is like luge, except you are face down on the sled going 70-80 miles per hour with your chin inches from the ice track,” he commented. “When I first heard about it, I thought…bobsledding…now that sounds like a blast! I’ve seen the movie Cool Runnings,” added Biggins. “No one that was in my group at Lake Placid had ever done it before so the first run was crazy,” he said.

While in Lake Placid, Patrick broke the record for longest standing jump over five consecutive attempts. Patrick jumped 18 meters, breaking the previous record of 17.8 meters. This immediately caught the attention of the officials running the camp and Patrick has been asked back to further audition for the club. If all goes well, Biggins could be on track to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics on the US Olympic Skeleton Team. “I have many levels of competition to go through, but I am hopeful that I will compete in 2010.”

“The key to skeleton racing is to be as relaxed as possible,” commented Biggins, sounding much more like a veteran than a novice in this sport. It is expensive to compete in this sport, costing $3,000-$5,000 for a new sled plus travel expenses to attend the many competitions thoughout the United States and the world. “I am hopeful I will find a sponsor to help me,” remarked Biggins.

For more information about skeleton racing, please visit the United States Bobsled Federation and the Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing.