TAVISTOCK BMX rider, Andy Maddock, is heading for Kentucky for the world championships.
Sixteen-year-old Andy, who has been regional number one for a number of years, was invited to attend the championships after qualifying last year.
He has raced for almost 13 years, starting in the under 5s at West Devon Warriors when there was a track at Brentor, and is the last of the original club of 45 riders who raced out of that track.
Despite a bad fall last year when he broke his collar bone and shoulder joint — which put him out for most of the season — Andy has trained hard this year and is now at full fitness.
He is currently the UK number one rider with a clear 20 points between him and second place, and travels to Exeter and Bristol regularly to train because of the lack of facilities in West Devon.
The trip to Louisville in Kentucky is a costly one but Andy has self-funded a large proportion through his part-time job and is grateful to his employers — Little Chef at Sourton — for giving him time off to practice and compete this season.
Although letters were sent to local businesses for donations towards the trip, sadly only a couple of firms have replied.
Andy is very grateful to Philip Hartnoll, osteopath, and Marcus from Bar Lush for their support, and to his parents for all the help they have given over the past 13 years.