TRAVIS Ludlow heads for Spain today for the Junior European Kickboxing Championships, just months after turning his back on an equally promising career in motocross.


The 12-year-old from Ibstone was competing at national level on his motorbike before deciding to pack that in to concentrate on his other love, kickboxing.


The Great Marlow School pupil first took up the gloves when he was four and he became a black belt when he was 11. But it has only been in the last few months that he has decided to throw everything into the fight game and has made lightning progress since.


He finished third in the British National Championships in Birmingham and will now perform on the international stage for the first time.


He flies out to Spain with the GB team this evening and the squad, as the last to arrive, will have to go straight from the airport to the weigh-in before knuckling down to competition.
And with the contest being conducted on a straight knockout basis, Ludlow knows he is going to have to be on top form from the off in San Sebastian.


Dad Nick said: “I never expected him to stop his moto cross for this but he’s been very focused and he’s worked very hard for this.”