MOST 16-year-olds find revising for GCSEs enough of a challenge.

But this year, a handful of Oxfordshire teenagers fitted revision in between winning international sporting awards.

At King Alfred’s Academy in Wantage, David Murphy made a splash with a sea of As, Bs and Cs, which he earned in between being a national swimming champion.

The 16-year-old holds the current UK record in the under-17 age group for 50m and 100m breast stroke.

It means he can now stay on at the school’s sixth form and take A-Levels in PE, sociology, psychology and biology.

He said: “I did really well, a lot better than I thought I would, especially in maths.”

Rebecca Bell, a pupil at St Helen and St Katharine School, Abingdon, celebrated getting eight A*s and two As, two weeks after she was part of the Team GB who won a Dressage Team Gold Medal at the European Pony Championships.

At the same school, Fiona Bunn, who represents England in mountain running achieved 10 A*s, and Hannah Brant, recently selected for the Summer Youth Sailing Squad, achieved nine A*s and one A.

Also at SHSK, Molly Bowen-Morris, who has won numerous para-dressage competitions this year, including the RDA Nationals freestyle and the FEI Para Equestrian Grade IV Test British dressage competition, celebrated achieving all A* grades.

The girls’ headteacher Rebecca Dougall said: “It’s wonderful that so many of the girls have balanced significant commitments in their sporting, musical and dramatic lives with a dedicated approach to study and a love of learning.”