Flora Duffy: Bermuda Shaped My Success
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Dame Flora Duffy has shared how growing up in Bermuda shaped her journey from a talented young athlete at TriHedz to becoming an Olympic champion.
Appearing on The Runna Podcast, Duffy candidly reflected on the “bumpy road” to the top of her sport and the immense pride of winning Bermuda’s first-ever Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The five-time Olympian said she “fell in love” with triathlon at the age of seven, after being introduced to the sport by her parents.
“They entered me in a triathlon, and I loved it – I won my age group,” Duffy said. “Bermuda is such a great place for triathlon – it’s warm, and the water is beautiful.
“I joined Tri-Hedz [at Clearwater Beach], which is still going, and did every local triathlon, bike race, running race.
“There’s a really well-organised triathlon community in Bermuda. My friends were involved, the coaches were enthusiastic, and there was this great support network that allowed me to thrive.
“People seemed to realise early on that I was pretty good at it.”
At 16, Duffy moved to the UK to attend Mount Kelly in Devon, a school known for its strong swimming and triathlon programmes.
Her talent quickly gained international attention. By 18, she placed eighth at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, in 2006, took silver at the World Junior Championships, and regularly finished in the top ten at ITU World Cup events.
“People started to take notice – ‘Who’s this 18-year-old girl finishing in the top ten?’” she recalled.
But Duffy’s ascent was not smooth. The six-time Xterra World Champion revealed she nearly quit the sport altogether after a difficult experience at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
“At the time, I didn’t have the right support system to handle the pressure of racing at that level,” Duffy said.
“Qualifying for the Olympics was tough. I ended up not finishing the race, came back to Bermuda, and took a job at a boutique shop.”
That moment forced her to question her future.
“That’s when I was like, ‘Maybe I can’t do this’,” she said. “It was crazy having so much early success only for it to all crumble.”
Determined to rebuild, she enrolled at the University of Colorado in Boulder – a move that slowly reignited her competitive spirit.
“I wasn’t thinking about winning the Olympics or anything,” she said. “I just wanted to get back to racing at a decent level.”
Now 37, Duffy also spoke about her decision to remain loyal to Bermuda over Great Britain, despite holding dual nationality.
“I was born and raised in Bermuda, and it just felt more authentic,” said Duffy.
“Once I had success, sponsors, and income [representing Bermuda] became a huge blessing. I could run my own programme, choose who came to races, and avoid the bureaucracy that often comes with larger federations.”
Duffy said the highlight of her career was was standing atop the Olympic podium in Tokyo, watching the Bermudian flag rise above those of global powerhouses.
“I remember looking up and seeing the Bermuda flag raised higher than the British and American flags,” she remembers.
“That was such a powerful moment. I was the favourite going into Tokyo – I believed that in my heart. But the Games were delayed a whole year and carrying that pressure was surreal.”
When she finally won gold, the emotion hit hard.
“It was a whirlwind,” she said. “It was more than just a swim, bike, and run – it was a massive moment for Bermuda. It meant so much to so many people. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
Watching Flora in the Olympics was the best thing I’ve ever watched on TV period!!!!