Birmingham lawyer Vicky Edwards is set to test herself against the best in the world.

The 34-year-old employment specialist with Birmingham and Black Country solicitor's Young & Lee is preparing to go to Switzerland to represent Britain in the World Triathlon Championships.

Vicky, who joined Young & Lee at the end of last year, will take part in the world triathlon age group championships Lausanne in early September.

Her sport involves swimming a mile, cycling 40 and finishing with a six-mile run.

When Vicky is not advising West Midlands businesses on employment law and representing them at tribunals her life is taken over by the training necessary to reach the top.

"After I finish work at the Young & Lee office in Birmingham city centre my day is not over, evenings are for training sessions," said Vicky, who was a policewoman in Staffordshire before training in law.

"The outdoor swimming is undertaken at Swan Pool in Sandwell Valley Country Park, West Bromwich, and I cycle in the evenings and every Sunday.

"My family is very sporty and I have been a strong swimmer and runner since childhood. The hardest discipline is the cycling. When I have finished the World Championships I start training for the London Marathon next year. Some people think I'm mad but it's like a drug and I feel awful if I miss a day's training."

Selection for the World Championships is a dream come true for Vicky who was chosen for the event in Madeira two years ago but was cheated by food poisoning days before the race.

"Young & Lee are very supportive and sponsor me although some of my colleagues think I must have a screw loose. We pride ourselves on being different from traditional lawyers and I certainly do not fit the caricature of the sedentary solicitor," added Vicky.

"Competing in the triathlon rules out the typical legal lunch."