Louise Minchin has jumped off the BBC Breakfast sofa and swum, cycled and run her way into the Team GB triathlon squad.

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The BBC newsreader has qualified to compete in the World Triathlon Championships in Chicago on 19th September against some of the world's best triathletes.

Minchin shared the good news on Twitter – as well as posting a picture of the moment she qualified for Team GB.

It means she'll be racing on the same date as British Olympic champions the Brownlee brothers, on the final race day of the 2015 Triathlon World Series.

While Minchin won't be competing in the elite level championships, she will represent Great Britain over the Olympic standard triathlon distance – 1500m swim, 40km bike ride, 10km run – against her fellow age group athletes.

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Minchin, 46, will be racing in the Category I age bracket (for 45-49 year-old athletes) in Chicago, one of 21 female British athletes to have qualified this season.

The race will start at 9:25am (3:15pm UK time) on Saturday 19th September. Olympic medallists Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee will be racing later the same day in the elite World Triathlon Grand Final.

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Minchin's not the only newsreader with a history of kicking for the line, although many of her colleagues stick to just the running part. Sophie Raworth regularly competes in the London Marathon, while Sian Williams and Susanna Reid have both completed the distance in the past.

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