A STRONG squad from Headington School are in the final stages of preparation for the club’s first transatlantic competition.

The 22 girls, aged between 15 and 18, are set to take part in the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston this Sunday, and the Head of the Schuylkill regatta in Philadelphia, on Sunday, October 27.

Among the talented youngsters are three girls who were selected to represent their country in the Coupe de La Jeunesse, Lucerne, Switzerland, this summer.

Between them, 17-year-olds Hannah Tomlinson and Helena Lang, both from Steeple Aston, and Sasha Adwani, from Bladon, picked up seven gold medals in the event.

Tomlinson said: “This has been on the cards for years now and is so thrilling and yet at the same time a little nerve-wracking.

“Before any race, you are always nervous, but the fact we have never done this before and it is in a different country, with different formats to racing, makes it that little bit more interesting.”

The girls will take part in three races at each of the regattas, two eights and a coxless quad at Bostons and two eights and a coxed four at Philadelphia.

Headington’s director of rowing, Ryan Demaine, said: “While the Henley Royal Regatta, in which our girls picked up a silver medal last year, is probably the most prestigious rowing event, they will now be up against the very best junior rowers in the world.

“But I am confident they will more than hold their own .”

Cheering them on from the sidelines will be former headgirl Lily van den Broecke MBE, who learned to row at Headington and won a gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.