Rising athletics star Olivia Mason is jetting off to the Bahamas to run for England in the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Games later this month.

The 15-year-old, of Branthwaite, smashed the qualifying time for the 1500 metres by five second and impressed selectors to earn her berth in the team.

And, despite being much younger than the rest of the team, she is set to go up against some of the best under-18 track stars in the world.

“I am really excited to be selected and to go to the Bahamas, “ said the Keswick School pupil.

“The 1500m is a straight final as not a lot of people met the qualifying standard so it quite a small field.

“But I will be up against girls from all over the Commonwealth.”

Olivia will meet up with the England team on Saturday, July 15 in London before flying out from Heathrow the following day to the Bahamas.

She then has time to acclimatise before the big race on the Thursday.

“Once we get there we will have a day to acclimatise, as well as the heat there is also a five-hour time difference between us,” she added.

“But the England management team have given us several techniques to help us as they are very experienced.”

Olivia, who runs for the Border Harriers, now has a couple of weeks of training to get up to her best ahead of the event.

She added: “I have had a good standard of training over the past three weeks and I hope I am going to peak exactly in time for my race.

“I just need to prepare myself and sharpen up so that I am at my full capability.

“My aim in going out there is to come back with a medal but it is about the opportunity and the experience.

“It is still a learning curve for me as I am still quite young. I am the youngest on the England team.”

The teenager was set to defend her English Schools title this weekend but she had had to pull out of the championships after her Commonwealth selection.