Rachel Willmott has qualified for the ITU Age Group World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Canada.

The 26-year-old, who works as a solicitor in St Albans, will compete in Edmonton on Friday. The triathlon will feature a 750m swim, 20k bike ride and 50k run.

Willmott, who was England’s junior number one and seven time squash champion, started competing in the triathlon two years ago. She has won four of her six events in 2014 including third place at the British Sprint Championships in her age category.

Her biggest achievement this year saw her finish third at the Nottingham triathlon, in the 25-29 age category, which enabled her to qualify for the World and European Championships.

Willmott said: “I have been training all season and it has been going well so I am feeling confident.

“I’m very competitive and of course I want to win, but I realise that this is my first experience of competing at world level in triathlon so I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself. I just hope I don’t get a puncture on the bike.”

Willmott recently competed in the London Virgin Triathlon at the Excel where she came first in the ladies sprint race and 13th overall out of 1,777 competitors.