She only fell for the sport two years ago but she's already a paratriathlon world champion.

Faye McClelland, 31, will fly to Beijing on Tuesday to defend her title in the competition for disabled athletes.

Faye, who lives in Eastbourne where she is studying physiotherapy at Brighton University, says she only ever took triathlon up as a hobby because she felt unfit after a gap year.

She was born without a left hand and was told she would be eligible to compete in the paratriathlon.

Yesterday she was receiving her typhoid jabs ready for her trip to China.

She said: "I've never been before so I'm very excited.

"The heat is predicted to be around 30C but it's the humidity that is especially high.

"I have been acclimatising to this using a heat chamber at Brighton University."

Faye, a former fitness instructor, first tried a triathlon combining swimming, cycling and running in 2007 but then went away travelling.

When she got back in 2009 she said she felt unfit and started excercising again.

She was soon competing on behalf of the Brighton Phoenix Triathlon Club and recently won a paratriathlon in Hyde Park, London.

She said: I didn't come from a competitive sports background. However, I've always enjoyed many active hobbies growing up, including gymnastics, dance, swimming, ice skating and sea ranging to name just a few."

For more information or to see videos of Faye competing visit britishtriathlon media.org/profiles/detail/faye mcclelland