BBC Breakfast frontwoman Louise Minchin has described her first experience of the Deva Triathlon as ‘amazing’, ‘enjoyable’ and with a ‘real spirit of Chester.

The mum-of-two, who moved to the city when the BBC relocated to Salford, had hoped to compete last year but a skiing injury meant she had to resort to a relay, with two other competitors joining Team Louise.

And so Sunday’s race was her first attempt at an Olympic distance triathlon, where she was inspired by the ‘supreme athletes’ that she was competing against. She has previously taken part in the Deva Divas triathlon.

“The run was tough,” she said. “Although my personal best for a 10K is 51 minutes and I managed this in 52.

“At the transition, when I got off my bike, I spotted a club runner called Steve and I thought ‘he looks like a good runner, follow that man.’

“I had friends, family and my friends at Breakfast shouting at me all around the course and he turned to me and said: ‘You have some amazing support’ and I said: ‘Well, you are my pacemaker!’

“At the end, he turned to me and said: ‘I couldn’t let you down!’”

Louise is a member of the Chester Triathlon Club and spoke of the ‘devastating week’ the group had suffered, following the death of member Alan Cronin who was killed on the A483 last Thursday, whilst out on a training cycle.

“Being in the club is like being part of a family,” she said.

The BBC Breakfast team followed Louise in action and posted a short video of her challenge on their Facebook page, which began with her descent into the River Dee.

Tweeting after the event she joked with followers about how they might spot her in the crowd:

She said: “It was cold, about 14º. I swim in the Dee a bit and so I didn’t have any trouble with not being able to feel the bottom but when we started, I just thought : ‘I have just got to get on with it. You can’t see where you are going and you are bumping into people and they are bumping into you. It is quite brutal! But it was fantastic and I finished 1½ minutes faster that I had hoped.

“My feet didn’t warm up though until half way through the bike ride, when I suddenly realised that I was being overtaken by my age group.”

Louise has an ambition to qualify in her age group for Team GB, which would mean a chance to compete in the world championships in Chicago in September. She will be back in the water, the saddle and the trainers next weekend for the Dambusters triathlon in Rutland.

“I would love to qualify,” she said, “but the quality of the athletes I am up against is staggering. These women are amazing, an inspiration.”

Louise is getting on her bike again for this year’s Macmillan Cycletta, the UK’s leading series of women-only bike rides. She will join thousands of women across the UK at the 50km Cheshire event at Tatton Park on September 27. The event is open to women of all ages and ability, and includes distances ranging from 50km-150km For more information visit www.cycletta.co.uk.