Blog
Atherton Academy: The Next Generation
08 October 2025
Words: Gill Harris
In 2013, Dan, Gee, Rach, and Team Director Dan Brown launched the Atherton Academy to give back to the sport by nurturing the next generation of potential world class racers.
The youngest of the 2025 Academy intake, Dan’s son Sennen Brown, was barely a toddler when the first young riders, Taylor Vernon and Martin Maes, were formally taken under the Athertons’ wings.
Since then, notable successes have included Kade Edwards, Mille Johnset and Luke Williamson. But as Dan Brown says, trophies are great, but they aren’t everything ... especially at these early stages.
“The Atherton Academy is designed to identify, nurture and support young racing talent, helping them progress their careers with world-class coaching and guidance. We take quite an informal but hands-on approach to mentoring both at Dyfi Bike Park and at the races – where I find myself in the dual role of team coach and Sen’s proud dad!.” Dan Brown, Atherton Bikes CEO.
Our 2025 Atherton Academy riders are Charlie Baxter (2nd year Youth) Charlie Toomer (1st year Youth) and Sennen Brown (2nd year Juvenile). All of the boys are fairly local to Atherton Bikes and race an A.200.
Dan adds- “One of the best things about this year’s programme has been to watch the boys increase in confidence, race-craft and raw speed. I genuinely believe that the A.200 is the best possible bike that they could be riding at this stage in their careers. Perfect-fit means the boys are automatically better positioned on the bike and it’s a very stable and quite forgiving ride, perfect for loose teenagers!! It has been great to watch them grow in confidence and to see such a rapid progression across the board. They have very quickly worked out how to function as a team which has been great to see and riding with the Athertons, Charlie Hatton, Elise Empey and George Madley is huge fun for them but also brings huge improvements.
Our two youth riders have both competed in Europe this season, with very respectable results in a field of 80/90 fast boys. Charlie Toomer earned 5th place in both Euro Champs and the French Cup and Charlie Baxter was 16th in the Euros and top 10 at les Meunieres. These European races are growing in importance with credits to ride at World Cups for the top 5 riders and exposure to a much greater level of competition on bigger faster tracks – both boys showed huge progression after their European races.
But I think the most important thing for me is that these kids are still having fun on their bikes, we don’t pressurise for results, those will come with an increase in skill and confidence, I’m really proud of what the kids have achieved this year and we’re hoping to roll the Academy out beyond the UK in 2026.”
That's enough from Dan. Let's hear what our young riders have to say ...
Charlie Baxter
I’ve been riding at Dyfi Bike Park since I was 9 or 10, even before it was officially open. Athy always took an interest in us and would ride with me and Nathan and Ruben de Vaux. I was so stoked when I got an Atherton Bike, (18th Nov 22 I picked up my A200!) I’ve done three seasons on it now – well, I’m actually on my second frame, the first I had was 440 reach so I outgrew that, now I ride a size 6, 460 reach…it feels amazing. Before I got my A.200 I was definitely more out of control, crashing all the time. The Atherton makes me ride faster and more aggressively but I’m more in control which has a big impact on my racing
Our 2025 season started at Cwmcarn and it went so well for the Atherton Academy, I was 3rd in youth Charlie Toomer was 2nd and Sen was 2nd in Juvenile – we were stoked! Being in a team, part of the Academy, has definitely helped the three of us,
I did all the Euro races this season except Slovenia which clashed with the British National race at Revs. The season started strong with Round 1 IXS and Continental series in Portugal, I was 2nd in seeding but 7th in my race run (with flat tyre unfortunately) bit the speed was there so a good start to season but then had to concentrate on GCSE's… I got 10th at Les Meunieres and 16th in Euro Champs, it was OK but I feel like I could done have better.
The competition is insane, it feels very different to UK, like a whole new level. When I came back to race at Revs I felt so much better on the bike. Going into this off season I feel really confident coming into off season, I’m going to start training with Alan Milway prior to my first year as a junior next year and there’ll probably be a load more training on Fire in the Booth! My goal for 2026 is to get the experience of at least a few World Cups.
Charlie Toomer
I feel so much more confident on my A.200 than I did on my old bike, it’s so stable through the corners, you don’t heed to hold back at all you can put all your trust in it. Right from the start it was awesome; at Cwm Carn we all podiumed but then I couldn’t put it together for a good race run for a bit – I got it back though!
High spots for me have been 5th at Euro Champs in Molina, I was over the moon! And last week when I posted the fastest time of the day at Revs. Me and dad did some research and we think the last time that happened was in 2001 when Gee did it – that feels pretty awesome!
It’s really cool to be part of the Academy – we share our lines and we ride together outside of racing, at Dyfi, local tracks, pump track; just having fun on the bikes. We got to ride with Charlie Hatton on Fox testing day, that was mint, getting dragged along by him, George (Madley, the Junior rider on Continental Atherton raceteam) feeds off following Charlie all the time, it was the same for us.
I got to spend some time with the race-team at Les Gets , joined them for track-walk, hung out in the pits and generally got to soak up the World Cup atmosphere, it was so good, I’ll be 2nd year Youth next year so no World Cup racing for a while yet. My goal for 2026 is to be National Series Champ again and I’d love to win National Champs and have the sleeve… and to do more in Europe; I absolutely came back a better rider, even after one race
Sennen Brown
I’ve been racing for Atherton Academy since the start of the 2025 season and I’m loving it! I have a S.150 trail bike which I won Enduro National Champs on and I also have my A.200 downhill bike which I’ve been using to compete in downhill races. I’ve placed second in the National Overall with consistent results right across the season and a win at Round 4 in Llangollen. I’m currently leading the Pearce Cycles Overall which is the regional races.
I ride a lot outside of the races, I love how playful and fun the S.150 trail bike is for training and having fun in my local woods. It climbs insanely well, meaning I can get loads more runs in at my local. Recently I’ve been riding parks like Dyfi and Revolution a lot more as I’ve moved from Enduro to Downhill and the A.200 has been perfect for that. I can completely trust it over big jumps like 50-1 and big drops like Oakley as well as it being the perfect race bike!
Next season I’m moving up to a very stacked youth category; after a great first race season in 2025 I’m hoping to be racing and training in Europe in 2026 whilst also competing in the British National Series!
More like this...
Old dog, new tricks. Our young rippers aren't the only ones laying down fast times aboard the A.200. Read how Stefano took the Masters European Champs earlier this year.