Dame Flora Jane DuffyDBE (born 30 September 1987) is a Bermudian professional triathlete. She won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Bermuda's first gold medal. She also competed in the Beijing, London, and Rio de Janeiro Olympics. In 2018, she won gold in the women's triathlon at the XXI Commonwealth Games in Australia. She also won gold in the same event at the XXII Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
In April 2018, Duffy won the first gold medal of the XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.[9] Duffy won the women's sprint triathlon by a 43-second lead, becoming Bermuda's first female Commonwealth gold medalist.[10][11] She was also scheduled to compete in the women's cross-country mountain bike at the Commonwealth Games, but did not start the event.[12]
Duffy is the only person to win three triathlon world titles in the same year in 2016, claiming the WTS, ITU Cross Triathlon, and Xterra titles in close succession. Duffy is the only triathlete in WTS history to post the fastest swim, bike, and run portions in the same race.[13] Duffy holds the record for the largest winning margin in both Olympic[14] and Sprint[15] distance races in a WTS event.
The Dame Flora Duffy National Sports Centre (including the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium) in Devonshire Parish is named for her.
Personal life
Duffy is of English parentage: her father is from Barrow-in-Furness, and her mother is from Burnley; therefore, she was eligible to represent Great Britain but opted to represent Bermuda, where she grew up.[21] Duffy was privately educated at the independent Warwick Academy,[22] then abroad at the independent Kelly College in England and the University of Colorado Boulder, where she graduated with a BA degree in Sociology.[23]
Duffy launched The Flora Fund days after winning the inaugural WTS Bermuda in April 2018.[24] Through the fund, Duffy hopes to enable youth in Bermuda to pursue their potential, ultimately contributing to a healthier, more ambitious community.
