Piers Gilliver
Introduction
Piers Gilliver (born 17 September 1994) is a British wheelchair fencer, who competes in both foil and épée. He has won medals at both World and European Championship level and in 2016 he represented Great Britain at the Rio Summer Paralympics and won a silver medal
Personal history
Gilliver was born in Gloucester England in 1995. He has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome a congenital illness which in 2007 left him as a full-time wheelchair user.
Wheelchair fencing career
Gillver first got into wheelchair fencing in 2010 at his local fencing club in Cheltenham after looking for a new sport as his mobility decreased. He joined the British Disabled Fencing Association in 2011. In 2012 Gilliver made his international debut for the British team at a World Cup event in Warsaw, coming 11th in the Category A épée.
In 2013 Gilliver took part in his first IWAS World Championships. The same year he was named Junior World Champion in the U23’s Category A épée. In the buildup to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, Gilliver took nine podium finishes at international matches including the silver medal at the IWAS wheelchair fencing World Championships in Eger. In 2016 he was selected for TeamGB at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.