AFTER weeks of anxiously sitting by the phone waiting for the call from selectors, race walker Tom Bosworth has finally got the news he has been desperate to hear – he is off to the Commonwealth Games.

The Tonbridge AC star will be flying to Delhi on October 6 as part of a squad with designs on winning England's first Commonwealth Games walking medal for 20 years.

For Bosworth the selection is just reward for an outstanding year that has seen him come on leaps and bounds in his first season as a senior, including victory in the National 20k walk.

"I found out last Thursday, but wasn't allowed to say anything until it was officially announced," the 20-year-old said. "It was just a huge relief more than anything and I'm over the moon. We set it out as one of the targets in my first year as a senior, but I didn't really believe I would do it. It's a huge achievement to get there. I've really had to pick up my training. It went from six times a week to 12 or 13, with a lot of long distance walks through the winter in the snow and rain in Leeds. But it's all paid off now."

The 20-year-old, from Kemsing, has certainly come a long way from when he first took up athletics as a 12-year-old. Coach Peter Selby remembers watching a talented junior travel the length and breadth of the country racing with his family, before he finally broke through nationally in 2008.

"He was going along as a good club athlete and then two year's ago he really hit some form. I told him he had some potential there. In 2008 he had a good year and in 2009 he had a couple of internationals. He went up to Leeds Race Walking Academy and has gone on from there. It's great for the squad in Tonbridge. They train together as a group and get on well together. He developed with them."

Delhi promises to be a shock to the system for many of the athletes going. Luckily it won't be the sweltering heat of the Indian summer, but it's still expected to be hot and humid.

Bosworth and the other race walkers will be preparing in an environment chamber in Leeds, before they jet off to Doha for some pre-event climatisation.

One disappointment is that he'll miss the opening ceremony, but that will be a small price to pay if he does bring home a medal on October 9.

"I know the Australians are going to be very, very strong," he said. "If they all perform to their best, they'll take all the medal positions. But if one of them pulls out it could be a real dog fight for third. The conditions will have a huge effect. I'm just going to go out there – I'm not ruling anything out."

Long term there is something else happening up road in London that Bosworth has his eye on.

"This is a great stepping stone to the Olympics," he said. "The Commonwealths is in between in worlds and the Olympics – it's the perfect step to take. I can't wait to get out there."

Bosworth's big race is on October 9.