An Ottery student will be taking a plane for the first time after being selected to represent the UK in the geography Olympics.

Naomi Gammon, from The King’s School, will compete against the world’s best young geographers in Hong Kong for the 16th international geography Olympiad after impressing selectors with her knowledge.

The sixth former, who would like to study geography at university, saw the event advertised online and decided to apply.

She was chosen as part of a team of four young people to represent the UK against more than 50 countries.

Naomi said: “It looked like a good bit of experience. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never been on a plane before and never been to China before. I cannot point to one thing I like [about geography] – I find it all interesting, I like to be able to go for a walk and look at something and know why it’s like that.”

She added: “It will be really good to meet like-minded people.

“People who have been before said they made lots of good connections from different countries, and it will be nice to spend time exploring the city.”

The competition is run by the International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) and aimed at students aged 16 to 19.

It is split into three parts: a written test, a multimedia test and fieldwork examining students’ observation and analysis skills.

Naomi, who is in year 12, is fundraising to cover the costs of going to Hong Kong and has received donations from local funding and Honiton District Lions.

Headteacher Rob Gammon praised the geography department’s hard work for supporting Naomi with her application.

Dr Charlotte Hawkins, head of georgraphy, said the school worked to push students to seize opportunities.

She said: “Naomi is a student who works immediately independently. She went and found this competition and then came to me with her filled-in application form and asked if we could talk about it.

“She has shown the opportunity you can have from a state comprehensive school.

“It’s really great Naomi had that self-confidence to do it and has ended up with a trip of a lifetime.

“There’s nothing you cannot do.”