Anthony, who is registered partially blind after being struck down by a genetic condition, jetted off with members of the Great Britain paralympic cycling squad last weekend.

The 35-year-old former Chapel High School pupil is due to participate in both the tandem sprint and tandem 1km time trial events, competing alongside his fully-sighted pilot rider Barney Storey.

And there is an air of expectation, not least because Anthony, who only began competing in 2005, is the reigning world champion and current world record holder.

Speaking before flying out to Beijing, he said: "We have done a couple of World Championships and World Cups, and in some respects this is just another competition, but then again it is the Paralympics, every four years. It is something special, and very exciting.

"Our expectations are very high. We go into this as the current world champions in both events and our expectations reflect that. We are after gold medals."

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games open on Saturday, with the track cycling events taking place at the Laoshan Velodrome in Beijing between September 7 and September 10. Anthony and Barney face a potentially challenging schedule of ten races in their quest for medal glory.

Now living in Hazel Grove, Anthony was brought up in Chapel-en-le-Frith and is a former employee of Otter Controls in Buxton.

He suffers from the condition known as retina pigmentation - a genetic condition which only affects men. Although not totally blind, he struggles to see in low light inside, outdoors at night and in bright sun. He also has blindspots.

Anthony will be supported by his parents Pat and John Kappes, also from Chapel-en-le-Frith, who are flying out to Beijing to be with him at the trackside.

"It is quite a high pressured environment, so having your friends and family out there can act as a very healthy distraction, as well as a huge boost," added Anthony, who has trained alongside the British Olympic cycling team in preparation for the Games.