Success of former pupils
Vicky Thornley will spearhead the Team GB charge at the Florida event, which will run from September 24 until October 1.
Thornley finished second in the double sculls at Rio 2016 alongside rowing great Katherine Grainger, and has since moved to the singles in the hope of replicating last year's success on her own.
She further enhanced her reputation with gold at the European Championships in Racice, Czech Republic, with two World Cup silvers has raised expectations of a podium place further.
Speaking to Express Sport, Thornley said: "I know the event I'm now in has big entries, there are a lot of girls at a similar standard. You have to be on your A-game pretty much every round and making the final is the first port of call.
"Semi-finals in the single are like finals. They're fierce. You've got to be on your game. There's no point just waiting for the final because you could be caught out.
"All I can do is prepare best myself, training hard as I can and make the technical improvements I need to make."
Great Britain will be sending a total of 17 teams crews to the United States to compete at the event, with the team boasting no fewer than 14 Olympians in the group.
Thornley will be looking to put her new found experience to good use against some tough competition, stating she has always been “fascinated” with the prospect of competing in singles action.
Dr Mark Baker, who left the school in 2003, has led a group of volunteers’ intent of fixing the historic Gwrych Castle, which overlooks Abergele and can be seen from the A55 expressway.
The Grade I listed site was left to rot for decades, but the Trust, which comprises of 65 volunteers and was formed in 1997, has restored the impressive Gardener’s Tower and they lit the stove and main fireplace for the first time in 100 years at their Open Day last year.
The project was recently shortlisted for a public vote in Tesco’s #BagsofHelp initiative, and after a frantic voting process the trust were awarded the maximum grant of £12,000, which was raised from the 5p bag charge.
Dr Baker, who has been working on the project since the age of 12, recently revealed in an interview that the castle is now “80 per cent complete” and it is open to the public throughout August to mark the 20-year anniversary of the commencement of its restoration.
Speaking to the Rhyl Journal, Dr Baker said: “We are 80 per cent there. We have nearly finished the gardens. We want to rebuild the conservatory next and it will be then complete. There is still a lifetime of work ahead, particularly the main building
“Looking back to when I was 12, I guess it does seem quite odd but to me, it wasn’t odd. It [the restoration of the build] was something I could see becoming a reality. I am quite a passionate person, I look to achieve. I was quite determined."
Charlotte Frobisher LLB (hons); GCILEx, who left the school in 2006, has become the Prestatyn and Meliden Mayors Consort for the 2017/18 term.
The 27-year-old currently works at PJW Law in Llandudno and she will be working under her father Gerry, who was named as the mayor for a third time earlier this year.
She has now begun her role and was a key figure in the recent success of the Prestatyn Carnival, which attracted hundreds of people from across the region last month.
The former pupil, said: “My father, Gerry, became the Mayor of Prestatyn for the third time in May 2017, and asked me to be his Consort.
“I was delighted and honoured to take on the role and to help him represent the Town until May 2018. My mother was his Mayoress in 2002/03, and my sister his Consort in 2009/10.
“Being the Mayors Consort sees me attending all sorts of Civic Events such as Civic Services, meeting other Town mayors, Freedom of the Town Celebrations, and a host of community events not only in Prestatyn, but across North Wales.”
Mary Hill, who left the school in 2015, will be studying Fine Art at Liverpool University after spending time studying privately and building up her portfolio.
The 20-year-old she has continued to paint and has produced several large paintings including one massive portrait of a Stag in recent months, something which impressed selectors enough to earn her a place on the course.
In a recent conversation with the Head of Art Mark Sherrington she said she has “become increasing less interested in creating a conventional, photographically real image and more concerned with what paint can say and do in its own right”.
Mr Sherrington, said: “Mary was one of the best painters we have had at Rydal Penrhos in a number of years and was unusual in her ability to work with real intensity for long periods of time on the same subject.
“This gave her work an all-over clarity and focus that at times seemed difficult to comprehend.
“Her work has always been concerned with what is actually real and what we actually see as opposed to a camera or phone. We wish her real success as she embarks on a three-year course and can’t wait to hear form her to see what she produces for her degree show.”
Alex Sharples has been speaking from the Southern Hemisphere where he is training to be a pilot.
The 2016 leaver is currently based in Hamilton and has just one year to go before he can take to the skies on a commercial airline.
Alex took part in a special question and answer session with Communications Assistant Dean Jones, where he spoke about the challenges he has faced, what he has enjoyed and how a Rydal Penrhos education prepared him for the next step:
How has your first year been in Pilot School?
“It’s been hard work. My first year was all theory exams. I had to do 14 exams in the space of six months, each exam is around 50 questions and it’s a 75 per cent pass mark.
“Classes started at 8am and finish at 4pm Monday to Friday. I found each subject very interesting as it was about something I'm very passionate about!
“For example learning the in depth technical details to how aircraft generate lift, how aircraft use satellites and ground based navigation aids to navigate around the world, learning how to plan commercial flights with regards to fuel and mass and balance and a lot more.”
To read the full article click here: http://www.rydalpenrhos.com/Alex-Sharples-speaks-on-Pilot-training-programme-in-New-Zealand?returnUrl=/Alumni-News