A FORMER Thomas Hardye School pupil has progressed from a multi-skilled track and field athlete to professional status in Xterra Offroad Triathlon.

Louise Fox, nee Bardsley, from Crossways has this season been selected to represent Great Britain and was placed fourth on the Xterra European Tour.

She claimed a third place in Spain and made the top five in Malta, Portugal and Greece.

The European Xterra Championships were held at the Vachery Estate near Cranleigh where Fox competed for her country in the elite race.

This started in the Vachery Lake with a 1.5km swim followed by two laps of rough woodland cycling (30km) and then a similar course was used for a long cross country run (10km).

Fox took ninth place and was the first British athlete home.

The former Dorchester Athletics Club member finished her season as part of the GB Elite Team at the World Cross-Tri Championships in Sardinia where she was 15th.