A Shropshire athlete has been practicing on nearby hills so she can compete against the best mountain runners in the world.
Alps racer Sara Willhoit, a landscape architect from Shrewsbury, will compete at elevations of more than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet).
In the Uphill Only race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship (WMTRC) in Austria, she was chosen to compete on behalf of Great Britain.
Mountain running appeals to Ms. Willhoit, 34, for "the adventure.".
She continued by saying that she also liked "being able to get away" from "the hustle and bustle" and go "into the wilderness.".
The championship starts on Tuesday and runs through June 10th.
The runner, who represents Mercia Fell Runners and Shrewsbury Athletic Club, said it was an important moment to be chosen to represent Great Britain.
She said, "It's kind of special, and I want to share it with everyone here, everyone who is helping me get to that place in a calm and relaxed state of mind.
Her coach Colin Livingstone described the competition in Austria as "fierce" and against athletes accustomed to training in the mountains of continental Europe.
He did, however, add that Ms. Willhoit had a "great chance" and had trained regularly both abroad and on the Shropshire Hills.
I believe that the environment shapes the athlete, he said. "You don't need to run hard up here to benefit greatly from the cardio-vascular and cardio-pulmonary systems. " .
Ms. Willhoit, who runs both with partners and by herself and trains during the winter, said she was appreciating the lighter evenings because winter workouts could be challenging.
Seeing deer and wild ponies on the hills, as well as an owl that "swooped" on one run, were among her favorite "small encounters" with wildlife, she continued.
She claimed that although you were unable to hear anything, you could still feel it passing by.
