A teaching assistant from Ellesmere Port has had her own triathlon success alongside BBC presenter Louise Minchin.

Sharon Plested finished 42nd for Great Britain in the women’s 50-54 age group at the ITU World Triathlon Championships in Chicago on September 19.

Chester-based BBC Breakfast host Louise competed in the 45-49 category.

Louise Minchin crosses the line to finish 71st in the women's 45-49 age group at the ITU World Triathlon Championships in Chicago on September 19

Sharon is also the PE coordinator at Cambridge Road Community Primary and Nursery School, and came home in a time of 2:21:58.

She said: “I hope my achievements will inspire pupils to follow their own ambitions and to live up to the school’s motto which is ‘be the best you can be’.”

Sharon only took up the sport in 2013 and qualified for GB in the standard distance taking on a 1500m swim, 40km bike and a 10km run.

Louise, a mum-of-two, is another relative newcomer to the sport after starting training in 2012.

Related: BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin's Chester triathlon challenge was an 'inspiration'

She placed 71st in her classification and said: “It was a very tough run and I finished because of the incredible support along the way.”

Louise Minchin (right) and the University of Chester's Dr Ceri Nicholas (left) celebrate with their Great Britain teammates Morag Mcdowell and Melanie Clarke

Dr Ceri Nicholas, from the University of Chester’s Department of Clinical Sciences and Nutrition, finished 31st in the same group.

The senior lecturer, from Mold, competed under her married name, Ceri Cook.

She was joined by another university runner Richard Bott, from the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, was placed 39th among the 35-39 men’s classification.

The University of Chester's Richard Bott and Dr Ceri Nicholas at the opening ceremony of the ITU World Triathlon Championships in Chicago