TWO of Bucks’ most promising talents have been selected for a pre-Christmas training camp for young athletes.

Sir William Borlase’s pupil Alice Freeman (hockey) and Beaconsfield’s Emily McLean (wheelchair basketball) have both been invited to Loughborough University for the four-day Youth Sport’s Trust National Talent Camp, which will be led by Olympic gold medalist Jason Gardner alongside a host of other internationally experienced athletes.

Freeman and McLean will be among nearly 100 young hopefuls put through their paces mentally and physically through tough training sessions and classroom workshops.

They will also stick to a strict schedule mirroring that of an elite athlete, including early morning training.

Gardner said: “These youngsters have been given a great opportunity to learn from some of the UK’s most successful sports stars, so it’s something they should be grabbing onto with both hands.

“The fact that they have been chosen for this prestigious camp already shows they are demonstrating real sporting promise, but being an elite athlete is not all about your talent.

“You need to realise that a lot of determination, hard work and sacrifice is needed to be top of your game. The camp really draws on these factors and helps these young athletes to understand the challenges they face and the life commitment needed in order to succeed.”

This years nine sports have been selected for extra focus, including canoeing, rowing, hockey, wheelchair basketball, volleyball, netball, girl’s rugby union & football and cycling.