Preston BMX sensation Euan Hunt has his sights set on a gold medal at next year’s European Championships after another promising summer on the dirt.
The 15-year-old, who trains at Manchester’s elite Platt Fields circuit, broke into the top ten in the world last year for his age group, and was rewarded with a spot on the prestigious 2015 Jaguar Land Rover Academy of Sport programme.
And, after another scintillating campaign this year which has seen him climb to third overall in the UK, Hunt now turns his attention back to competing on the world stage next year
“My season so far has gone quite well,” he said. “I’ve had some ups and downs, some crashes, but I got third in the national series in the age group above me.
“I competed in the national championships but ended up crashing out. It was just one of those things.
“The next step is to train for next year’s national series – I’m not competing in the Worlds because they’re in America, but I’m aiming for the European Championships and winning them.
“I look up to the guys who do it professionally, so Liam Phillips and Carl Evans and the guys who do it in Manchester.
“But it’s probably my mum and dad who mentored me most. They brought me up since I started and have taken me along to everything but the coaches as well at British Cycling like Mark Seaman who has helped me out massively through the years.”
As part of the Jaguar Land Rover Academy of Sport, Hunt experienced a one in a lifetime opportunity earlier this month as he attended a workshop hosted by former England captain Lewis Moody ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Hunt is in world class-company on the programme with the likes of Jade Jones, who won gold at the Olympic Games in 2012 in London in taekwondo, one of the first recipients of an Academy of Sport bursary back in 2010.
He added: “I’ve learnt a lot of nutritional tips, like you can make your own drinks, smoothies, and it’s not even that hard to do.
“Meeting other athletes has been a good experience because you get to know what the similarities are in training and in races.
“It means a lot to be in the Jaguar Land Rover Academy of Sport because you get a lot of good experience and it’s really good to be a part of it.”
Euan Hunt attended the Jaguar Land Rover Academy of Sport workshop, mentored by ambassadors Lewis Moody and Maggie Alphonsi and SportsAid patrons Danny Crates, Bryan Steel and Kerri-Ann Payne. For more information visit sportsaid.org.uk
