World’s Best Women Glider Pilots To Compete In Harborough’s Skies

The Women’s World Gliding Championship is coming to Harborough district later this month.

The event will be held at the Gliding Centre in Husbands Bosworth, which will be transformed for two weeks of intense competition.

Around 50 top women pilots from 12 international teams will compete in the skies, as the competition is held in the UK for the first time.

Two pilots will represent Ukraine after a Crowdfunding campaign raised over £4,500 to pay for their travel costs, equipment and entry fees, to ensure they could take part in the Championships, after their base at an airfield near Kyiv was badly damaged in a bomb attack earlier this year.

Olena and Valentyna will represent Ukraine at the World Championships

The big event will begin with an opening ceremony in Market Harborough town centre on August 13th, which will include a parade by all the competitors.

There will also be activities linked to the launch event happening in Lutterworth town centre on the same day and there will be a free open weekend at the Gliding Centre on the weekend of the 20th and 21st, so people can see the action up-close.

Suzanne Robinson is co-ordinator of the event and spoke to HFM’s Nick Shaw about it:

The Gliding Centre at Husbands Bosworth

Cllr Phil King, Leader of Harborough District Council, said: “To have these championships hosted in – and above – our district is very exciting.

“We look forward to welcoming the international teams to the area, and I hope that people will enjoy and support our launch events and visit the open day which will be occasions not to be missed.”