A NORTH YORKSHIRE super-fit mother and housewife has achieved 'the icing on the cake' for her hard work by qualifying for a trip to Mexico to represent Great Britain at the Triathlon World Championships.

Jan Bramall, of Green Hammerton, is now preparing to put herself to her biggest sporting test in the 40-44 age category of the championships at Cancun in November. She made the qualifying mark for the national team at a triathlon in Bournemouth last month.

"I am very pleased to have qualified. It is the icing on the cake. You begin to realise that some of your hard work has paid off," she said.

"It is a bit daunting. I don't expect to come first, but I don't intend to be last either. It is a bit of a challenge and it motivates me to do a bit more."

The triathlon involves swimming 1,500metres, cycling 40 kilometres and then doing a 10km run.

Bramall competed in the sport before stopping to have her two children and she returned to triathlon four years ago. A member of the NYP Tri Club, she takes only one day off a week from training.

In the summer she does open water swimming at Ripon lake and in winter does Masters swimming at The Mount and at Barbican Leisure Centre. She cycles and runs from Green Hammerton up to and round Sutton Bank.

Recently she undertook an Ironman competition in Lanzarote (even longer, more gruelling distances at the three disciplines) to prove that she could complete one, and this weekend is to take part in a half Ironman event in north Wales.

But after that she will be changing tactics with Mexico in view.

"I need to get back to speed training," she said. "Ironman is about long endurance and triathlon involves faster effort. Swimming is my easiest event. I have always been a swimmer. I am small and powerful, strong round the shoulders."

Her trip to Cancun won't be funded, though. She has to find the money herself. Her husband Scott and their two children will be staying at home while she jets off for her big challenge.

Updated: 12:42 Friday, September 06, 2002