AFTER more than 25 years of competing as a track runner, Louise Douglass is finally set to become a Great British international – but not in athletics!

The 34-year-old, who is a teacher at Deanes School in Benfleet, will represent GB at the European Sprint Duathlon Championships next year after accidentally becoming hooked on the new sport.

Basildon AC member Douglass, who specialises in the 400m hurdles on the track, entered her first duathlon last September in support of the cancer charity Macmillan and found she was quite good at it.

With just a month of duathlon-focused training, Douglass finished the 10km run, 44km cycle and 5km London Duathlon in 2h 55m, which placed her fourth in her age group.

“The following day I entered another duathlon,” laughed Douglass. “I was hooked.”

She won her first duathlon, over the sprint distance of 5.5km run, 20km cycle and 5km run, in the New Forest in November and competed in several more before the qualifer for the European Championships in March.

There Douglass successfully made it through to the GB team as the first qualifier, much to her surprise and delight.

“I was really pleased but surprised,” she said. “I’d only been doing duathlons for seven months but found myself as the top qualifier. I have always been a grafter in training and finally feel that has paid off!”

Douglass will now compete next year in the European Championships in Lisbon and is working hard to ensure the funding is in place.

“Competing for my country is a dream come true,” she said. “But everything is self-funding in age group duathlons and the cost of a Great Britain tri-suit, travel, accommodation, equipment and so on all adds up.

“However I feel that if you want to be the best you need to ensure you put your self on the start line in the best possible position and I am hoping with some support I will be able to achieve this.”

To sponsor Douglass, visit her website uk.sponsorise.me /en/project-road-to-european -champion