Flo wins ski scholarship

Flo Esplin (L6) has won a scholarship to train as a ski instructor. She was one of only 10 young people selected from 3,500 young skiers nationwide.

She caught the eye of staff from the Interski training programme when she was filmed by chance on the School's skiing trip to Aosta in Italy last Christmas.

Flo was warned not to get her hopes up as thousands of students were beng videod across trhe season from groups all ovber the UK. She had completely forgotten about the matter until, months later, she was asked to join 30 candidates to go to the Chill Factor indoor ski slope in Manchster. She had to attend lectures and undergo aptitude tests whcih included presenting skiing lessons to other members of the group.

Her success there gained her two all-expenses-paid trips to Pila, Aosta, at Christmas and Easter to gain her BASI levels 1 and 2. These qualify her to teach skiing in mountains around the world.

Flo said: "In between Christmas and Easter I have to achieve 70 hours of shadowing in a professional ski environment to enable me to complete my qualifications absoutely free of charge. Hopefully when I return from Italy at Easter at the age of 17 I will be a qualified ski instructor for the rest of my life!"