AFTER nearly not getting to the AusCycling Masters Track Nationals, Hamilton’s Chris Kennett returned with three national titles earlier this month.

The 32-year-old claimed the gold medal in the Masters category for riders 30-35 years old in the individual pursuit, the scratch race and points score.

The Hamilton Cycling Club member said he had been training for two years in preparation.

“I wanted to get that national title, I got a few silver and bronze a few years ago and I finally got the gold,” he said.

“It was pretty exciting, a lot of hard work has gone into it.”

Kennett started cycling as a junior before taking a break and returning to the sport when he was 21, stepping up his commitment levels in the past seven or eight years.

Kennett and his family nearly didn’t make it to Brisbane though, after a flight cancellation forced them to almost give up on going north.

“We drove down to Melbourne on the Sunday morning for our flight at 4pm, but that was cancelled 20 minutes before we were supposed to board,” Kennett said.

“We were looking for flights, motorhomes, anything, and in the end we decided we would come home.

“Mum was driving and took a wrong turn and we ended up on our way to Sydney and my fiancé Sarah found flights from Sydney, then on the way we ran out of fuel.”

The locals eventually got to Sydney at 4am, an hour and a half before boarding their flight.

After arriving in Brisbane, Kennett was again racing the clock to ensure he was prepared for his first event.

“We got to Brisbane, went straight to accommodation and put bikes together then went straight to track, had an hour and won my first race all on about three or four hours of sleep,” Kennett said.

“I had six events I could have gone in and I decided to do three, I just wanted to win one.

“My father, Shane, helped me out a lot, and my coach I have had for eight or nine years, Jackie Barnett in Portland.

“I will be easing back for a couple of years, I am semi retiring now so I can join the army, then hopefully I can come back in a couple of years and continue.”

Kennett will spend the next six weeks preparing before he goes to Kapooka in June for his enlistment.