When Naomi Ness first took up triathlon she freely admits she found swimming the hardest discipline.

Fast forward eight years and she’s made huge waves, so much so that over the next few weeks she’s planning to compete in two swim-only events over 3.8 kilometres.

Both will take place at Cotswold Water Park, albeit at different lakes, and the just-turned 42-year-old Naomi said: “Swimming is now my favourite discipline.

“When I first started doing triathlon I could swim probably 1,500 metres but I was self-taught, I had no technique. Now I’m having professional swimming lessons.”

The benefits of all the hard work may be seen at the swims at Lake 62 on Sunday 28^th June and at the newly-opened Cleeveland Lakes on Saturday 18^th July.

She has swum 3.8K before but that was as part of the Tenby Long Course Weekend, so the next few weeks are another stage in her sporting journey.

Naomi, a mum-of-two, joined Cheltenham Tri Club when she first moved to Cheltenham in 2018 and the sport seemed a natural fit.

“I’d been running since 2008, I did a lot of 10Ks and half-marathons,” she said. “I’d done swimming and cycling recreationally, if you can ride a bike, you can ride a bike.”

Triathlon still provides a huge mental and physical test, however, as Naomi readily admits.

“The hardest part is not the individual disciplines, it’s putting it all together,” she said.

She’s competed in sprint, Olympic and long-course triathlons and continued: “The aim would be to do an Ironman at some stage, that would be the pinnacle.”

It would be some achievement but for Naomi, a mature student who is studying journalism at the University of Gloucestershire, the most important thing is she’s happy doing what she’s doing.

“My philosophy is not to focus on times,” she said. “I want to enjoy what I do. If I do well in the two swims, great, but if not I will still enjoy them.”

And she’d like as many women as possible to experience the enjoyment that she gets from sport.

“I’m passionate about promoting women into sport,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be triathlon, I want to encourage all women to take up a physical activity.”