JOSEF Huppach is the second member of Pendle Ski Club to earn a national call-up.

The 14-year-old from Barnoldswick joins Robert Holmes in the England Alpine Ski Squad - and both will be competing on the slopes of Europe in the New Year.

Huppach, who attends Park High School, is currently trained by Peak Performance Snowsports when abroad and also trains at Pendle Ski Club when at home.

His goal for the coming 2016/2017 season is to be the best that he can be when it comes to ski racing.

Snowsport England Chief Executive and British Ski and Snowboard Board Director Tim Fawke commented: “Josef is one of our athletes who has followed the talent pathway from his early years of ski racing and is well on track to achieve his potential.”

Josef is hoping to spend as much time as possible training and racing on-snow this winter, before a busy summer of ski racing in the UK.

It has been an exciting few months for Pendle Ski Club as five young members were selected to become Snowsport England Dry Slope Ambassadors - including Holmes and Josef’s brother Declan.

Nelson teenager Holmes, l4, is also a pupil at Park High School and trains with SZ Racing when abroad.

Other talented members of Pendle Ski Club who are Dry Slope Ambassadors are Victoria Gatty from Clitheroe and Callum Witts from Burnley.

His goal for the coming 2016/2017 season is to consistently finish races in a podium position, helping him to be selected for an international race.

Snowsport England Chief Executive and British Ski and Snowboard Board Director Tim Fawke said: “Robert is one of our athletes who has followed the talent pathway from his early years of ski racing and is well on track to achieve his potential.”

Holmes is hoping to spend as much time as possible training and racing on-snow this winter, before a busy summer of ski racing in the UK.

Meanwhile, David Corr and Rebecca Owen will be among a GB team of 21 skiers who will represent their country at the 2017 World Winter Games.

The Special Olympics World Winter Games is one of the biggest events in the movement’s global calendar and held every four years and more than 1,600 athletes from 63 nations will head to Austria in March.

The pair, who are both members of Rossendale Special Ski Club, earned their places in the GB squad after impressing at the National Championships held in France back in April.

Since then, it has been an anxious wait to see if they had made the squad. But it turned out to be good news for both David and Rebecca who starred on the slopes of Serre Chevalier as part of a nine-strong team from Rossendale.

Owen, from Bacup, was crowned Special Olympics GB female slalom champion after a brilliant performance in the advanced category.

She also won silver medals in the giant slalom and super giant slalom.

Chorley’s Corr also earned his place in the team after winning silver medals in the giant slalom and super giant slalom.

However, teammate Cameron de Vial narrowly missed out despite the talented skier from Haslingden winning three medals in the advanced group - a silver in the super giant slalom and giant slalom and a bronze medal in the slalom.

Athletes from Wales, Scotland, South East, North West, Midlands, Yorkshire & Humberside and East of England regions to represent Special Olympics GB at World Winter Games

Special Olympics GB is proud to announce the team of 21 athletes - eleven Alpine Skiers and ten Figure Skaters –

The Special Olympics World Winter Games is one of the biggest events in the movement’s global calendar and held every four years.

This sporting showpiece event will be held in Austria in March next year - commencing with a spectacular opening ceremony on 18th March 2017.

It is the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event in 2017 and will be hosted by Hollywood star - the World’s most famous Austrian - Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Graz and Schladming in the Styria region of Austria will host the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games.

Austria will welcome almost 3,000 Special Olympics athletes from 110 nations to compete in nine Olympic-type winter sports.

The Special Olympics World Winter Games returns to Austria, the location of the fifth Special Olympics World Winter Games in 1993 in Salzburg and Schladming.

Around 1,600 athletes from 63 nations competed in five sports in those Games, which were the first World Games held outside the United States.

Tim Shriver, Global Chairman of Special Olympics, said: “On behalf of our entire Special Olympics movement worldwide, I am thrilled to award our 2017 World Games to Graz and Schladming in the beautiful state of Styria.

“Austria was the first country outside the U.S. to host a Special Olympics World Games and helped us show the world the gifts and talents of our Special Olympics athletes.

“It is fitting that we would return to a country that has demonstrated its commitment to people with intellectual disabilities for decades and will embrace our athletes from around the world.”