"Wonderful" athletics star, 15, dies in his sleep in hotel room while on school trip to Cuba
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A "wonderful" teenage athletics star died in his sleep while on a school trip in Cuba.
Alex Holliday, 15, of Whitstable, Kent, was found in his hotel room in Havana in the early hours on Friday, his school said.
Devastated staff said the teenager, a talented distance runner who trained with his local athletics club, passed away suddenly in his sleep after he was thought to have suffered a "medical episode" from which he did not recover.
Alex was visiting Cuba to study marine ecology through a trip organised by Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham, Kent Live reports.
(Image: Moment RM)
The tour, which involved 34 students and staff, was due to return to the UK today.
Head teacher David Anderson said the boy's death was a "great loss to the school".
He said: "He said: "He was a quiet and determined young man with a wonderful sense of humour; he enjoyed all aspects of school life and was making good academic progress.
"After arriving in year 8, Alex made a lot of close friends, who are all understandably devastated at this news.
(Image: EyeEm)
"Alex was a wonderful person, unfailingly polite and courteous and keen to engage in the wider life of the school, particularly in sport.
"I recently saw much more of Alex through his participation in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme where he was making excellent progress.
He added: "During year 9 Alex campaigned for more money to be spent on road repairs in Whitstable, one of the most successful citizenship projects of recent years, which benefitted many in his local community.
"Alex would have been starting his final year of GCSEs in September and his early passing is a great loss to the school.
"Athletics was Alex's great passion; he was a rapidly improving middle distance runner and his contributions to the school athletics and cross-country teams will be sorely missed.
"He also trained outside school with the Invicta East Kent Athletics Club where he was seen as a rising star.
"Staff, students and Governors at Queen Elizabeth's offer their condolences to Alex's family at this most difficult of times, they are very much in our thoughts."