KNUTSFORD Triathlon Club members enjoyed a special class led by Ironman Champion Laura Siddall.

Laura, 38, a British professional triathlete, paid a special visit to the club, where she guided members through a Pilates for Sport class, before taking part in a Q and A session at Knutsford Leisure Centre.

She said: "It was great to spend the evening with Knutsford Tri Club. I still learn so much from other athletes, regardless of level and ability and came away buzzing with energy.”

Knutsford Triathlon Coach Helen Murray said: “We were so lucky to have Laura in Knutsford with us because she is hardly ever in the UK.

“She had an 08.30am flight from Stansted to catch the following morning, but was still so generous with her time.

“She talked to us about different aspects of racing, nutrition and training, which will really help us as we prepare for next season.”

Laura competes in long distance triathlon races which last for about nine hours and involve swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles before running 26.2 miles.

She won Ironman races in New Zealand and Australia this year before being crowned European long distance triathlon champion in Madrid.

She spends most of her time training and racing abroad, is based in New Zealand during winter in the northern hemisphere and lives in Spain during the summer.

She added: “I travel and train on my own the majority of the time, so when I get the opportunity to meet clubs and groups of people involved in the sport I jump at the chance as I love this engagement and interaction.

“There are very few sports where professional athletes are so accessible to amateurs. That’s part of what makes triathlon so special.

“I just love being able to learn from others, hear their stories, their goals and hopefully help them work towards achieving them.”