From School Sailor to Space Weather Scientist

Tom’s sailing journey began through his school’s programme at Farmoor Reservoir, where he quickly developed a natural affinity for the sport. He progressed through the RYA Youth Scheme and became an instructor at Oxford Sail Training, where he stood out not only for his teaching skills but also for his calm organisation and knack for maintenance around the centre.

While balancing instructing with his academic life, Tom went on to study Physics at the University of Southampton. There, he served as treasurer of the university sailing team, managing finances, organising events, and continuing to sail regularly alongside his studies.

His academic path took him to one of the world’s leading scientific institutions, spending a year at CERN working on the Large Hadron Collider. He later pursued postgraduate research at the University of Cambridge and is now a postdoctoral researcher in the Space Weather and Atmosphere team at the British Antarctic Survey. His current work, funded by a Pushing the Frontiers grant, explores new ways of modelling populations of trapped, charged particles in Earth’s magnetosphere—linking to his wider interests in space weather, geomagnetic fields, and wave-particle interactions.

Tom still sails in his spare time and took part in the Round the Island Race this year with two other former Oxford Sail Training instructors, keeping both his passion for sailing and his connection to OSTT alive.
Tom’s story is a brilliant example of how the teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving developed through sailing can support success far beyond the water. We’re proud to have played a part in his journey, from instructor to cutting-edge researcher