'I feel well and truly honoured' - Brackley teenager picked to represent Britain at gliding championships

After demonstrating great ability and control at last year’s UK gliding awards, 18-year-old Oliver Ramsay has been picked to fly for the British team at the FAI Junior World Gliding Championships.

Oliver, who flys with the Oxford Gliding Club, will travel to Ostrów, Poland, to compete against the best under-26 glider pilots from around the globe this July.

He said: “I feel well and truly honoured to represent Great Britain. It’s going to be such an incredible experience.

"Not many people can say they’ve had the opportunity to represent Great Britain at an international event, let alone at only 18 years old.”

The Brackley teeanger was first introduced to the sport at age 13, when he visited Turweston Flight Centre for a trial flight in a powered plane.

Oliver, who already had the ambition of becoming a pilot, was instantly hooked and gravitated towards the local Banbury Gliding Club after it was recommended by a pilot at Turweston.

He said: “I really enjoyed the experience and was very keen to do it more often.

"I loved it! I think I spent every weekend for the next seven months at the airfield learning to glide and eventually going solo on my 14th birthday. It was amazing.

Although it will be the first time Oliver has flown for the British team, and as a pair alongside teammate Henry Inigo-Jones, he is optimistic about the squad’s chance of bringing home medals.

Oliver said: “I’m hoping that I can learn a lot at this competition, not only from flying but also from my teammate, who has been in the British Junior team for a few years and is a very experienced pilot.

"As a team, we have great ambitions to bring home medals this year, and with the preparation and training we’ve lined up for ourselves, We have a really good shot.”

To help support Oliver and the British Gliding Team’s chances of success at the tournament, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover some of the travel and accommodation costs.

To donate to the online fundraiser, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/british-junior-gliding-team-poland-2024