Who?
Bike Europe
Who?
Matthew Burnett
Age: 17
Matthew, always happy to have his photo taken, especially at 7.15amOne of the infamous Burnett brothers, Matthew is the older, more mature sibling.
As a committed athlete in pre-2012 Olympic training with specialised coaches at the Olympic Academy, we’re all expecting him to breeze through the ride. He really is a serious contender for the 100m & 400m titles in 2012 – he can already run 100m in less than 11.5 seconds! Watching him steam past players on a football pitch is quite a sight to behold, especially when you’re on his team.
If you ever meet Matthew you may think he is actually sponsored by West Ham United but in fact he is just a dedicated fan who obviously really likes West Ham clothing. Good man.
Matthew plays for the same football team as the rest of the cyclists on this event – The Morden Baptistas based in south London. Sitting on the left wing, he can use his pace to frighten defenders twice his size and his shots are enough to keep any keeper awake at night. It’s just a shame his glasses keep falling off every time he heads the ball.
His life in the east end of London has of course been shaped by his many years as a member of the Boys’ Brigade and the Swift Youth Group. Every Friday without fail he’ll turn up and be prepared to partake in whatever activities have been organised for the night. As a keen actor you will often find Matthew with the Swift's drama group (yet another of his hidden talents).
Matthew is willing to lend a helping hand wherever it’s needed and in 2006 he debuted as part of the hand-picked advance / retreat team for our summer camp. His excellent work rate, knowledge of camp and cheerful demeanour has guaranteed him an automatic place in the 2007 team. Matthew has also received the much coveted CO’s Award for his positive and active contribution to camp.
Now, why couldn’t Simeon be more like his older brother?
