Following an injury-hit 2019, the 15-year-old has returned to mainland Europe for elite training under Team GB skier Rob Mullen, although national squad camps and competitions remain on the distant-horizon due to Covid-19.
St Clement resident Ogden, who fractured his back at the end of the 2018/19 season, has been based on the Stelvio glacier in Italy in recent weeks as part of the Excel Race Academy. His hunt for further success on the international stage will continue with training at his school in Switzerland, Aiglon College.
‘It is great to be back out in the Alps after 19 weeks in Jersey,’ Ogden explained. ‘The conditions up on Stelvio glacier were exceptional for summer time. We had a couple of days when we couldn’t ski due to a rock slide closing the road up to the ski area but that just meant more cycling for me, which I also really enjoy.
‘The early starts were a challenge. As the temperatures are high in the summer you get the best snow very early in the morning which meant a 5.30am departure from our hotel. We would ski until mid-day and then use the afternoons for fitness sessions and cycling.’
As part of his recovery from injury, Ogden spent considerable time on two wheels in Jersey – clocking between 40-80km a day either on Island roads or virtually, via Strava.
Ogden – a member of Team England’s alpine team – won three silver medals at the English Alpine Championships in 2019, having represented Great Britain earlier in the campaign.
