With her goddess-like status in her home country of Bermuda, Dame Flora Duffy’s influence and profile has transcended the sport of triathlon since her Olympic win in Tokyo.
The 35-year-old, who is gearing up for her title defence in Paris 2024, has made a significant impact on the sport’s image globally during her time at the top, nowhere more so than the island of Bermuda.
At the recent Global Triathlon Awards, Duffy shared how privileged she felt to have such a far-reaching profile and what she hopes to achieve with her platform in the sport of triathlon.
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‘Sport has the power to change lives’
With such incredible success over the best part of a decade, Duffy’s profile has grown in size and stature year-on-year. It took some time, however, for Duffy to realise just how big her platform had become.
She told us: “My profile has grown quite a lot over the years, considerably so since the Olympics, but for me as a person it doesn’t feel life changing. However, every now and then you have an encounter and realise it is bigger than me just doing swim, bike and run.”
In Bermuda, Duffy has had a seismic impact, launching the island on to the triathlon calendar, with Bermuda having hosted a WTCS event since 2018, which Duffy has won twice.
For the reigning World, Olympic and Commonwealth Champion, giving back to her people has always been a major driving force for her ambitions.
“It is really important for me to use my profile and help to inspire young people to get into the sport, especially in Bermuda, as I have always felt that sport has the power to change lives.”
“It is a privilege to have this sort of platform and be able to do that, especially in my home country. It’s really incredible, as this isn’t a space I ever thought I would enter through sport. It is a really privileged and powerful space to hold.”
Duffy’s aspirations for young people to get into the sport in Bermuda saw her set up the Flora Fund, which provides grants to aspiring young athletes to achieve excellence in the sport of their choice.
Source : Tri247