A BURNLEY College student will be pursuing her Olympic dream this summer after beating off competition from thousands of others.

Natasha Howson, a travel and tourism student, has been selected as an Olympic Ambassador.

The 18-year-old from Burnley was one of 32,000 applicants and 16,000 people interviewed. She will now be one of 8,000 ambassadors at the world’s biggest sporting event.

Natasha is stationed at Covent Garden and will be in London until next weekend.

She will play a key role in meeting and greeting tourists from around the world throughout the Olympics, helping them to find their way to the Olympic sites and answering their questions.

She said: “This is a fantastic, once in a lifetime opportunity and it is an amazing feeling to know that I am playing a part in the biggest event this country has ever hosted.

“Working closely with tourists from so many different countries will provide me with vital experiences for my future career and it is something that I am determined to make the most of.” Melanie Crossley, travel and tourism lecturer at the college, said: “We are delighted that Natasha’s application and determination to pursue a career in the tourism industry has been rewarded.

“She was a fantastically hard-working student and we are sure that she will play a vital role in the smooth running of this summer’s Olympics.

“Thousands of people will be in need of advice each day of the tournament and Natasha’s calm and confident manner will help them to get the answers they need.”