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Great Ouse Primary Academy has announced that one of its pupils has been selected to represent Great Britain at the 2024 Irish Optimist National and Open Championships.
Rory Luddington: A Rising Star in British Youth Sailing
11-year-old Rory Luddington, who currently attends the school in Bedford, had previously been selected for the East Optimist Regional Training Group (RTG) last winter, after being recognised by the team coach as having the potential to progress within British Youth Sailing.
Recognition and Support from Great Ouse Primary Academy
Headteacher at Great Ouse Primary Academy, Chris Payne said: “We are all incredibly proud of Rory’s selection for the Great Britain team at the upcoming Irish Optimist National & Open Championships. Rory showed superb commitment throughout his training and this achievement is a testament to his hard work and talent."
Payne continued, "Our staff have also been brilliant in supporting Rory during his challenging training, in particular Mr Hammond, our PE teacher. He has provided Rory with valuable support that has allowed him to balance his school work alongside competing at an extremely high level. As Rory’s time here comes to an end, I would like to thank all staff that have helped him in his journey to becoming a confident and resilient individual.”
Intense Winter Training Regimen
The winter training for this event was very intense and involved Rory working at weekends, with eight hour sessions on both Saturdays and Sundays. The weekends involved a range of activities including a morning run, other fitness-related training, classroom-based theory sessions and lots of time on the water in the cold conditions.
All of his training was built up to the International Optimist Class Association (IOCA) UK Spring Championships, held in March.
Preparations for the August Competition
Rory has now met with his teammates and event coaches as he continues his preparation for the competition in August to be held at the Howth Yacht Club, in Dublin.
