Braintree's Aleasha Kiddle is setting her sights high in only her second season competing at the pinnacle of world bobsleigh racing.

Having impressed in her debut season to earn a recall to the elite Great Britain bobsleigh team, the 23-year-old feels the start of her second year is a turning point and wants to continue building on the early successes that she has enjoyed so far.

With the hard graft of pre-season preparations completed, the Braintree and District Athletic Club sprinting ace will be returning to competitive action on the ice this week.

She will be competing at the opening rounds of the Europa Cup in Winterberg in Germany before moving on to Altenberg for round three next week.

Kiddle has taken her place on the British team again after passing strict fitness and strength tests at summer camps in the UK and Switzerland over the summer.

Just as she was towards the end of last year, Kiddle will once again be brakewoman in a sled alongside former Youth Olympic silver medal-winning driver Mica McNeill, but while she is pleased to be back on the team, she knows their hard work is only just starting.

Kiddle, who was a pupil at St Michaels Primary School and Tabor High School in Braintree, said: “I was very pleased to be announced on the Great Britain squad.

“With this being the start of my second season on the team, it really has been a turning point for me.

“It was a long summer of hard work, coming back to full-time work and trying to balance training.

“Nonetheless, I am very happy that I was able to achieve and exceed my goals and hope this will be the start of some great performances this season.

“I will be brakewoman for Mica and, luckily, as we are both still classed as juniors in bobsleigh, we have a great chance this season to build on last year’s efforts.”

The opening rounds of the World Cup over the next few weeks will give Kiddle and McNeill the chance to build their form ahead of British team selection for the World Championships, which take place at Igls in Austria in February.

The duo will be hoping to improve on the 14th place they had at last year’s World Championships, however, the 2016 Junior World Championships, which are being held at Winterberg in Germany in January, will also be a key focus for the British duo this season.

“My initial aim this year was to secure my spot on the team, however, there is no time to relax as the real hard work starts now,” added Kiddle.

“This year I am really focusing on the World Junior Championships in January and hoping to better our sixth-place finish from last year.

“I think we have a great chance and now I have already raced in a World Championships, I am confident I can perform at the right time.”