Youth Olympics dream sees Paul Henderson slope off to US

Stewart's Melville College pupil Paul Henderson is preparing to head to the USA this week as he aims to secure a place in the Great Britain skiing team for the European Youth Olympic Festival in the Czech Republic.

The 15-year-old S4 pupil has been named in a long list of athletes being considered for selection for the team for the event in Liberec in February.

All those long listed are travelling to Colorado on Friday to begin over three weeks of training and racing and afterwards the final squad will be picked.

Henderson hopes to be selected for the alpine skiing section of the team and said: "I can't wait to get out to Colorado and focus 100 per cent on my skiing. To make it to this stage is great, but I have to keep working hard to make sure I make the team for the Youth Olympics.

"It can be hard sometimes juggling skiing and my school work, so this time in Colorado will really be important for me and allow me to work on a number of things."

Henderson took up skiing, initially on dry slopes, when he was five years old, quickly moving on to racing as he progressed to British team level.

His mother Shirley said: "Paul started racing when he was around six years old and he always really enjoyed it.

"We wanted Paul to decide what sport he wanted to do and there was a time when he played football for a local team and the school as well as rugby for the school.

"When the time came, it was his decision to stop playing the other sports and concentrate on his skiing."

Paul added: "Skiing was always my favourite sport as it is demanding and requires speed, precision and confidence in your ability. It is also an individual sport and I like that aspect of it as you can push yourself on and have to take responsibility. I train on snow as much as I can and go to the gym to work on fitness three or four times a week."

Last season he was a member of the British children's ski team, with whom he travelled to the Czech Republic earlier this year. He finished 11th and 13th overall in the giant slalom event and was the fastest Great Britain team member. This year he also went to the Topolino Races - generally regarded as the children's Olympics - and secured a number of top-two finishes in the British Children's Championships and the Scottish Children's Championships held in Meribel and Courchevel respectively. He also came first in the slalom at the Aglon College Cup in Villars, Switzerland.

He has now moved intothe junior category where he races against all ages from 15 upwards and his mother and the rest of the family are looking forward to seeing how he progresses while out in Colorado.

Shirley said: "Paul is looking forward to Colorado as it means he will be skiing all the time which is really all he wants to do."Going with the team means that he has the opportunity to learn from the older skiers and from some of the best coaches available.

"We are really delighted with the way things are going for him and we just try to support him the best we can.

"With this Colorado trip coming up it means he will have to study for his prelims over the Christmas holidays, but he is used to juggling things around and he has some big events in the early part of 2011."

This busy period includes competitions in Meribel, Courchevel and Bormio in Italy as well as, hopefully, the European Youth Olympic Festival.