MILLWOOD Designer Homes has kitted out a young cycling enthusiast in the latest specialist gear to help send him well on the way to sports stardom.

Ben Mitchell, who lives in Tonbridge, has been chosen by British Cycling to join a special talents team after passing a number of stringent selection tests at his school. In recognition of his spectacular achievements, Millwood has provided Ben with his latest set of kit.

From an original group of 2,000 schoolchildren, only two boys in the South East region were selected to join the special talents team. In fact, but Ben is one of only two in the country that are not originally from a cycling background.

The special talents team is a hand-picked selection of children, who, from the age of 15, are given intensive training and support to grow and improve their skills. The eventual aim is that the team will be trained to a standard fit for the Commonwealth Games.

Ben attends a weekend training camp once a month and goes to the gym twice a week, although his workouts intensify during the summer months.

Whatever his schedule, though, Ben clearly appreciates having the right kit for the job. He said: “If you want to reach the top of your game as I do, it really is important to have the right equipment to help you along. Thanks to Millwood, I am able to go out and train wearing the appropriate fabric for the job. I hope now I will be able to make it all the way.”

At any one time, Ben may have three or four different bikes stored in the shed.

Provided for him by British Cycling, each bike has different specifications to equip Ben for the different types of cycling he does. His efforts have already been recognised by the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, which rewarded Ben with a Sporting Achievement Award.

Tony Lynn, (pictured left) sales and marketing manager for Millwood Designer Homes says the company is pleased to be able to help the budding star.