ADD Motorsports driver Mitchell Gilbert was delighted to be given the opportunity to be part of a unique training camp for some of Australia’s most promising young drivers.
He was one of 17 drivers invited to the CAMS Academy camp in Melbourne put on by the Australian Institute of Sport.
Not only did it mean he was recognized for his Australian heritage, but he was also given access to some of the best equipment and information he could have hoped for.
And as he waits to discover whether he has made the shortlist of drivers to get a chance to go further in the programme, he said it had given him a real lift as he looks towards the future.
He said: “I feel I have been acknowledged as Australian. Both my parents are Australian and although I was born in Malaysia I have been brought up as an Australian.
“But to be recognized in this way and invited to join up with the best young drivers in the country is a real proud moment. It was a real honour to represent the country.
“It was all about making us better drivers by helping us prepare better. The equipment they had there was phenomenal, I have never seen some of it before, we were all treated like top athletes, something you don’t normally associate with drivers.
“We were also introduced to sportsmen and women at the top of their games who told us about the path they had taken. It was really motivational and inspiring.”
Mitchell was the only invited driver to race outside of the country, with drivers from disciplines including rally, open wheel and karting making up the others.
Drivers underwent a series of physical assessments and training under the guidance of professionals such as Adam Costanzo at SenseCore – former trainer to F1 champion Lewis Hamilton.
Sport stars who spoke to the group included martial arts champ Ed Bavelock, Commonwealth Games medalist Brendan Cole and Olympic gold medal sailor Elise Rechichi, as well drivers Cameron McConville and Nick Percat.
Mitchell continued: “It has made me realise what I need to do to push on.“I sacrifice a lot already for my sport, but there are always others who sacrifice even more.
“I need to be more strict with my training and diet – there are plenty of areas outside of driving that need to be stepped up, you kind of forget about that side of things sometimes.”
Eight of the 17 drivers will now be chosen to go head-to-head on the track before a final four are selected to race as a team in the prestigious Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race and Mitchell hopes to have the chance to impress on the track.
He added: “It was a brilliant three days. I really want to make it to the last eight to show them what I can do on the track and then hopefully get picked to be part of the team.
“It will be a big step towards getting my name out as an elite young driver from Australia.
“I’d like to thanks CAMS and the AIS for the opportunity to go to such a brilliant camp and hope I can make it further with them.
“It would be a huge boost for my career.”
