A FORMER Dollar Academy pupil starred for Oxford University as they won the British National Ice Hockey Championships last week.

Former pupil, Martin Vesely (2012-14), was a member of the Oxford University ice hockey team, the Blues, that took part in the Tier 1 British National Ice Hockey Championships in Sheffield over the weekend of 23-24 April.

Despite facing very tough competition from other British universities, most notably St Andrews and Cambridge, the Oxford University Blues won the championship in a very exciting final match.

Martin said: "This is the biggest victory our club has achieved in a very long time and I am very excited to be part of it."

The tournament has been described as the 'Stanley Cup of British College Hockey’ - no small achievement, then.

Martin is currently in the final term of his second year at Oxford University.

He added: "I have faced many challenges during my time here and many more will surely come. However, thanks to the preparation and experience I have received from my time at Dollar, I managed to cope with them well and hope to excel in my final exams next year."

Martin is convinced that the life at Dollar Academy taught him that co-curricular activities are as important as the curriculum itself, and it was with this in mind that he decided to continue his ice hockey career, managing a careful balancing act between his studies and sport.

In a letter to his former school, Martin wrote, ‘I would definitely not be here without the generosity of Dollar Academy. I have gained so much and I hope to give back in the future. I would like to thank Dollar for the opportunity it has given me and I hope I have demonstrated that I have tried to make the most of it.

'I hope you are all very well and that Dollar is thriving as always.’