Flora Duffy and Neil de ste Croix are amongst 9 Bermudians who have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, it was announced today.

This week Flora had to pull out of the Leeds WTS Triathlon after sustaining a leg injury so the news today that she has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s birthday honours will no doubt be a massive lift to her spirits.

For Flora, who turns 31 this year, to be honoured with and OBE at such a young age is a huge achievement and not only recognises her well documented success in the sport of triathlon but also the way she has been a global ambassador for Bermuda.

Ofcourse, Charlie and Maria, Flora’s parents, hail from the UK originally and much of Flora’s extended family are in the UK, so they will be especially proud that Flora has been recognised by both Bermuda and the UK.

Neil de ste Croix has been one of triathlon’s leading lights in Bermuda for 25 years and richly deserves his BEM for services to sport in Bermuda. Neil has he been at the forefront of the development of junior triathletes in Bermuda and should take credit for his role in the development of not only Flora as a junior athlete but also many other junior triathletes in particular through his work with the TriHedz Junior Triathlon Club. He has also been involved in running the Bermuda Triathlon Association as president and brought international triathlons to Bermuda, such as the Escape to Bermuda and SheRox Triathlons, and amongst other roles he has organised and race directed numerous triathlon events. Neil is also a multiple winner of national triathlon titles in Bermuda and has represented Bermuda as an amateur age grouper at a number of events worldwide, including the triathlon age group world championships.

That two of the nine recipients to be honoured this year have come from the sport of triathlon is testament not only to Flora and Neil’s achievements but to all those who have supported them and the sport of triathlon in Bermuda.

Well done Flora and Neil.