People along Flora’s Journey to Gold

Bermuda’s Flora Duffy has been working her way up the international triathlon ladder before claiming her first big title at the 2014 XTERRA World Championships in Maui. She has earned three more XTERRA world titles, two ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships, two ITU World Championships and an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020. Here we highlight some of the people who helped put the wheels in motion.

Flora Duffy has been lifted into the spotlight with a remarkable feat, an Olympic Gold medalist and that is no small accomplishment. Flora is the product of time, grit, setbacks, and several people who believed in her and helped to influence and shape her journey.

Troy Custodio, the former Port Royal Primary School P.E. teacher started a triathlon club at the school, but Flora was too young, she was only 5 years old. Her mother came by the school and had a conversation with him, and he agreed to let her join. This would be Flora’s initial introduction to the sport of triathlon. She was not fast, but she had a ‘gritty’ determination and a composure that would slowly and steadily pick her competitors down in long distance races like the 1,500 and 3,000 meters. In her secondary schooling, Flora attended Warwick Academy and came under the guidance of Mark Thorne, the Head of Physical Education. He noted that she had a rare quality of a highly competitive nature, but she was also battling through a few health issues and injuries.

Steve Burgess, a well-known track athlete in Bermuda, worked as the Environmental Education Officer in the Botanical Gardens at the end of his track career, he turned his attention to coaching ‘upand coming’ athletes. Flora’s parents asked Steve if he would work with Flora, as she needed help with her running. Steve observed that Flora was relentless, driven and would not let bad weather conditions stop her from training. Flora put her training first and it was this unyielding determination that set her apart from others. Steve was trying to encourage her to do track, but she wanted to be a triathlete first and foremost.

Neil de Ste Croix is a co-founder of the Tri Hedz junior triathlon club, a development program within the Bermuda Triathlon Association, and he coached Flora from the age of 8 until she left to study her O-levels at Mt Kelly College in England.

Dave Morrison Founder of Tri Hedz Junior Development Program

Ben Smith coached Flora in the Sharks swimming club from the age of eight to about 14, he said she is a strong and fast swimmer who mastered various strokes. Whether it was realized or not, Flora was putting the individual meets of swimming, running, and cycling together to build the base of a strong triathlete. Flora also holds the record for under 18 Girls in the Front Street Mile with a time of 5:33.62 set in 2004.

After the disappointment of her first Olympic Games, Flora was at a crossroad in her career, lost as to the direction of her life. reflecting on the unsettling moment of being lapped on her Olympic debut in Beijing, China, in 2008, it was the lowest point in her career. She did not race for two years and returned to Bermuda where she worked in a local retail store.

Unsure of her next move, Flora decided to apply to the University of Colorado in Boulder to regain some clarity in her life, she started competing with the university cycling team, before she added swimming and small intervals of running, with the support of Neal Henderson, who would be her coach for next 10 years. Honing her technical skills in the different adaptations of the sport. It was here that she met Dan Hugo, a former professional triathlete, whom she started dating in 2013. He boosted her confidence; it was a huge turning point in her career and her life. Dan added another element to Flora’s racing, she had someone she could train with and who could help her fine-tune her mental edge, he gave her the confidence to regain her passion for the sport. In December of 2017, the couple married in Dan’s hometown of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

The road to her Olympic dream would not be easy, she competed in the Olympic Games in 2008 Beijing Olympics, London in 2012, and Rio de Janeiro in 2016 where she failed to meet her expectations. The hopes and dreams were mentally and physically draining, so she took some time off, resolved her issues and came back stronger. Flora always said how she wanted to be the best in the world and now she has done it in Tokyo 2021 and true to who she is, she contacted all the people who have supported her along the way.

Steve Burgess said as a rule, he never answers his phone with numbers he cannot identify, but for some reason he answered the phone. The voice on the other

Ben Smith

National Swim Coach side said, “Hi Steve”, and he asked, who is this? “It is me, Flora.” Steve was ‘floored’, the world is calling you and you are calling me! She said yes, just wanted to thank you.

Troy Custodio, now retired and living in England, watched the Olympic games from the comfort of his home. He could not contain his anxiety as Flora pushed ahead of second place as they headed out of the final transition and into the 10-kilometre run. Flora would finish more than a minute clear of Georgia Taylor-Brown, of Great Britain, and American Katie Zaferes.

Neil De St Croix

Coach and Junior Development

Mark Thorne

Physical Education Teacher at Warwick Academy