Tom’s the wheel deal – at 16

by Amanda Little

Last updated 22:40, Friday, 04 April 2008

WHILE many teenagers are glued to their Playstations and computer screens, cyclist Tom Walker prefers to be out on a 72-mile training ride on his bike.

Once a week, Tom races from his family’s home at Scotby, near Carlisle, along the twisting, hilly route over the Caldbeck fells to Keswick ... and back again.

It’s gruelling and time-consuming but the 16-year-old knows that the only way he’ll achieve his dream of competing at the 2012 London Olympics is to devote himself to his chosen sport.

That means sacrificing the things that most teenagers take for granted, like hanging out with his mates.

But if Tom needs any inspiration, he only need to follow the example of his hero Bradley Wiggins.

Wiggins collected three gold medals at last week’s World Track Cycling Championships and was part of the British team which won a record nine gold medals at the event in Manchester.

Tom’s dream is to be part of the next golden generation and he’s already plotting his route to glory.

He’s been snapped up for the select British Cycle Talent Team, a group of promising youngsters, and his next step is to earn a place on the Olympic Development Programme later this year, which will provide much-needed financial support.

Tom said: “The 2012 Olympics is my big goal and the added incentive is that it is going to be in London.

“I’m very dedicated to cycling and being selected would make sure that all my training had paid off at the end of the day.

“I’m totally focused on what I want to do and my ambition is to be a professional cyclist. I need to keep winning and keep on being successful if I’m to achieve that.”

It was clear from an early age that Tom would excel at sport as he comes from a sporty family – his grandad George Walker played for Carlisle United, making 164 appearances between 1959-64 , scoring 51 goals.

While he enjoys the occasional kickabout with his mates, it was cycling which most appealed to him.

At nine he joined his local cycling club Border City Wheelers simply to have a bit of fun at their regular training sessions in Houghton and Bitts Park.

As his natural ability began to shine through, he then developed a competitive streak.

Last year he won his first major title when he was crowned National Road Racing U16 champion after nine events all over the country from Dover to Durham.

Competing against Britain’s best youngsters, with fields of up to 40 riders, he won three events in Preston, Bristol and Hetton-le-Hole, near Sunderland.

It was that success which prompted the Oxford-based TORQ Colnago road racing team to snap him up to join its stable of promising youngsters. The team supplies bikes, helps secure sponsorship and offers a support network for team members.

Tom said: “Winning the National Road Racing U16 series was my biggest success so far and it got me noticed.

“Last year was my first season in road-racing so I was pleased to be national champion.

“Joining the TORQ Colnago road racing team felt like a step up. It’s great being part of a team and that’s what it will be like as a professional when I would be training and competing full-time. My ambition is to be spotted by a professional team one day.”

This year’s main aim is to impress in the National Road Racing U18 series.

Tom, a sixth-former at Brampton’s William Howard School, will be one of the youngest in the competition but he is undaunted by the big step up. He has victory again in his sights.

He has been working hard all winter on his goal. Every Tuesday night he travels to Manchester to compete on the velodrome track and at weekends he racks up the miles with training rides to Keswick and back.

When he isn’t out on his bike, he works out on a turbo exercise bike and does gym sessions to keep himself in peak condition.

It’s not just Tom who is dedicated. Dad Paul or mum Fiona clock up hundreds of miles every year, driving him all over the country to events – a huge drain on their time and resources.

Tom said: “Cycling started as a bit of fun and it’s gone from there. I’m totally focused on what I want to do.”

With dedication like that, who would bet against Tom Walker seeing his name rank alongside Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish in British cycling.