Father and daughter Keith and Elaine Walker from Billericay Striders Running Club have been selected to represent Great Britain in the World Triathlon Championships in Cancun in Mexico at the end of this month.

The event consists of a 1500 metres swim, a 40 km cycle finishing with a 10km run. This is the first time that Keith, 55, and Elaine, 24, from Ramsden Heath, have represented Great Britain in the World Triathlon Championships but both have previously competed in the World Duathlon Championships, an event consisting of a run and a cycle.

Keith, a Technician in the Construction Industry, and Elaine, a Secondary School Physical Education Teacher, are also members of TriSport Epping and have used local Triathlon events throughout the season to prepare for the World Championships.

Keith said: "Training and races have gone well for Elaine and myself and it is now a matter of avoiding any serious injury. However the hot conditions expected in Mexico will make it difficult to be competitive, especially with so little time for aclimatisation. "We have to fund these trips ourselves so it is not possible to go to Mexico any earlier and prepare properly."

Chairman of Billericay Striders Running Club, Peter Chown said: "All of us in the Striders are thrilled that Keith and Elaine are competing in the World Triathlon Championships and we know they will do us proud."