Taunton School brothers extend lead as international skiing champions

Congratulations to two brothers from Taunton School on extending their lead as international skiing champions.

Jack and Lucas Cox, aged 17 and 11 respectively, have taken part in separate skiing competitions in France and have emerged victorious from both.

Lucas was crowned champion of the U12 British Ski Championships in Tignes, France for the second year running, placing first in the slalom with a solid performance throughout the competition against competitors up to a year older than him.

Jack is now a three-time skiing champion, winning the French Ski Championships in Les Saisies, getting to the finals after he placed in the top 30 of the slalom race the day before in which 280 skiers took part.

Both prestigious competitions attract some of the best skiers in Europe, with entry only gained through tough qualification races.

Lucas said: “I am very happy to have won the British Ski Championships, especially against people older than me. I can’t wait for the next season to start and I’m hoping I can continue my winning streak!”

The brothers have been skiing for most of their lives, with Jack learning to ski aged two and going on to win numerous events including British championships and French championships and recently finishing in the top 20 of the Children’s World Cup in Folgaria, Italy where he represented Team GB.

Jack’s success has landed him sponsorship from Nordica as a team racer with a pathway to the Europa Cup followed by the World Cup and was recently named the South West’s Most Promising Young Athlete.

David Tarr, Housemaster for Jack’s boarding house at Taunton School, said: “It’s been great to see Jack’s skiing success and it is to his immense credit how he’s juggled the challenge of competing at such level alongside his BTEC Sports Science studies, not to mention being so far from the snow! A tremendous achievement, well done!”

Along with his brother, Lucas started learning to ski at 2 years old and has also won many competitions. He is now hoping to race in the major British and French races next year and gain a chance to qualify for Team GB by the end of season 25/26.

Every year, Taunton School arranges international skiing trips for those interested in learning the sport or developing their existing skills. This year saw senior students travel to the mountains in Vermont, USA, while junior students visited the Alps.

A variety of sporting scholarships and assisted places are offered each year at Taunton School for talented and gifted students. Please visit https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/scholarships/ to find out more. 

The school also offers a range of performance pathways designed to enable talented students to develop their skills effectively; this has led to some fantastic achievements, including a Year 12 student qualifying for 2024 Olympic swimming trials and multiple students playing at county and national level in sports including cricket, hockey and netball.