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Making Waves: Chichester College student joins Team GB for World Waterski Championships 

30 January 2026
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Chichester College student, Willow Skipsey, has made a spectacular splash on the world stage, earning a coveted spot on Team GB at the IWWF World Under-17 Waterski Championships.  

 Willow on the water during one of her water-skiing runs in training

Willow, who is studying for a diploma in Sport at the college, is one of just five under-17 athletes chosen to represent Great Britain on the world stage.  

This incredible achievement marks the third time she has been selected to represent Team GB at the competition in Argentina, following her previous selection at two European competitions in Italy and Spain.  

She described being ‘so happy’ to hear that she had been selected, adding, “I feel like it’s a very cool place to go, well, I’m really excited just to see Argentina. And I am really excited to be competing in a World Championships for the first time ever.” 

Willow also gave a sneak peek of what goes through her head in the run-up to a run, saying:  
“I normally get quite nervous at competitions when I’m standing on the dock. So, I normally put on headphones to try and think about something else, like my key points, or look at the wind on the lake, just trying to calm down.  

“My main thing is calming myself down and then just remembering that I do this all the time. There’s no need to get worried about it; it’s fine.  

She also praised Chichester College for supporting her sporting ambitions, saying:  
“I think the main way Chichester College has helped me is by allowing me to take time away from lessons to be able to train. I think that’s a big one that when I joined, I was a bit worried because I knew my school had been very lenient, but I didn’t know if it was going to be like that here.  

Willow began her Waterskiing journey three years ago after attending an after-school club held at Chester Waterski Club where her journey began with coach Duke Hazzard who continues to support and coach her. 

She is currently coached by John Battleday at Thorpe Lakes and Ben & Vince Turp at Gosfield Lake, and is currently sponsored by Austin Wealth Management.

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