The 18-year-old Otago rider can still use his fingers to count the number of times he has raced at a velodrome.
But while he is awfully green, he is also super fast and that counts too.
The University of Otago engineering student has been included in a nine-strong New Zealand team for the Junior Track World Championships in Colombia next month.
The rising star is fresh from a golden rookie season on the bike which culminated in a gold-medal ride in the under-19 points race at the Oceania track championships in Brisbane in March.
He used his 1.97m powerful frame to lap the field late in the race.
Gardner also claimed silver in the elimination and individual pursuit events, and was part of the New Zealand team pursuit side which finished second.
In February, he smashed his personal-best time in the 3000m individual pursuit to win the under-19 title at the New Zealand national championships in Invercargill.
He also collected gold in the points race.
Those achievements are astonishing enough, but even more impressive when you consider how much progress he has made in such a short stretch of time.
He won the men’s under-19 omnium in the first round of the New Zealand track championships in December in what was his first national track event.
But while he is new to the track, he has previously had strong form on the road. Gardner won the men's under-19 road race in 2022.
He is still a very keen road rider. But for now he is focused on the track.
Gardner will head to Cambridge later this week for the second of three training camps.
"Racing at the Oceania champs was the first international experience for most of us so the camps will help build the team environment and relationships to help us perform under pressure," Gardner said.
"It is where the learning happens. You can probably count how many times I’ve been to a velodrome on both my hands, so I’ve got very limited experience. I’m on the progression curve which is exciting."
The team, which includes Southland riders, Caitlin Kelly, Marshall Erwood and Magnus Jamieson, leaves for Colombia on August 16.
Gardner said a decision on which events each of the riders would contest would be made the day before which was "quite scary".
"We don’t know what races we’ll be in until we are leaving. But there is a lot of good riders in the team and very little difference between each. It’s a really tight competition and that all helps us get better.
"Racing each other is the best thing for us."
