Sam Oldham, Sky Scholar and gymnast, set for American Cup in United States after Qatar training

Sam Oldham is clocking up the miles for a new campaign of putting his body through the ringer again in the gymnastics arena.

Missing out on Olympic selection is a distant memory as the 24-year-old Sky Academy Sports Scholar gets ready to perform his skills in front of a raucous American public this weekend.

Fresh from steering Clamart (based in Paris) into the final of the French Team Championships, Oldham is competing in the American Cup in the famous Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

So how have camels, walking on his hands and the Doha sun inspired his preparations? Sam reveals all....

It was my first plane journey of 2017 and I was off to Qatar where the 2018 World Gymnastics Championships will be held.

I was definitely ready for some warm weather and I was looking forward to training alongside the the GB Men's squad for a week of graft.

The gymnastics facility was world class and we stayed in a great hotel with good food and WiFi, which meant the training camp check list boxes were all ticked off.

The goals heading into this trip were to begin my routine preparation for the new competition season with my first stop in the United States.

After a couple days of settling in and getting used to the equipment things began to flow and I got stuck into the thick of routines. It's always an exciting time of the year, piecing together the new skills you've been working on for the year ahead.

Having been on holiday at the end of last year I have a shorter preparation period to get competition fit. I'm really enjoying the challenge of getting ready for competition in a different way.

Training through the first half of the camp went very well and my new tricks are feeling ready to slot into my full routine. We had an amazing session as a team where we each had a challenge to complete.

We all achieved our targets and were given an afternoon off from the gym where we went into the desert. It was awesome to have the opportunity to go camel riding and eat some local food.

We also visited a local English-speaking school where we chatted to the kids and showed them some gymnastics.

It was amazing seeing all their smiles and looks of amazement as they watched us somersaulting and walking on our hands. The last few days were all about training for me.

I'm very happy with my progress on the High Bar and the Floor where I have upped my difficulty on both events. I'm now doing five release-and-catch elements on the Bar which will definitely be exciting for the crowd to watch this year!

We spent our final day at the Aspire Dome where the Worlds will be held next year. It was definitely motivating seeing the arena and also seeing the football World Cup stadium which is still under construction.

When I played for Notts County football club, the Qatar Aspire Academy team toured Britain in 2005 and I captained County against them. It was awesome to have a tour of the Aspire academy this time round and it brought back some brilliant memories from my football days!

The camp was a big success and really worthwhile in terms of my preparation for the 2017 season. I've been getting my head down at the Notts Gymnastics Academy in the build-up to America. My goals are to increase my fitness levels and get plenty of routines under my belt.

I've worked hard and waited a long time to be back out competing on the international stage. It's an honour to be representing Great Britain in the American Cup.

I grew up watching this competition and always dreamed of being a part of it. Idols of mine such as Vitaly Scherbo (from Belarus), Paul Hamm (American) and Fabian Hambuchen (German) have been previous champions. I'm really looking forward to performing my routines in front of a packed American crowd!

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WHAT'S COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS

MARCH 4: Sam Oldham, American Cup in New Jersey, USA

MARCH 10-12: Elise Christie, World Championships in Rotterdam

MARCH 10-12: Lucy Garner, Drentse Acht van Westerveld, Netherlands

MARCH 25/26: Quillan Isidore British SX Open