Emily Nagel is still attempting to gather herself after competing in the Ironman World Championships in New Zealand on Saturday.

Nagel, one of Bermuda’s best sailors, has spent the best part of a year transitioning to triathlon, with her decision to take the sport more seriously vindicated by finishing fifteenth in the 30-34 age group and 108th overall.

Just a day after competing and fresh off a 17-hour flight, Nagel banished any thoughts of jet lag to reflect on her race and the decision to leap into the unknown.

“It’s quite a mixed sense of emotions really,” Nagel said.

“It’s very cool to have competed alongside some of the best amateur athletes in the world and on the same course as the pros and I’m happy to have scored some points for my race team.

“I am my own harshest critic though and the race I put together wasn’t as good as I was aiming for, so there is a little bit of disappointment. However, I’m using that to keep fuelling the fire.”

When a competitor is so associated with one sport they can become pigeonholed but Nagel is keen to show that even the best in their field can achieve more when stepping out of their comfort zone.

“To me this is all about showing others that we can be so much more than one thing,” Nagel said.

“For the past decade to everyone, and to myself, my entire identity has been as the sailor, but our identities and our goals don’t have to be fixed. We can grow and change and find new passions.

“Sailing will always be a part of who I am but triathlon this year has given me a whole new community full of amazing individuals who inspire me to push myself more and it has given back so much of the drive and purpose I felt I had lost.

“I know I’m not going to be the next Flora but I’m loving the learning curve and the new type of racing.”

Nagel is used to being on the water but she was in the water for nearly half an hour in New Zealand on her way to finishing the course in 4hr 54min 21sec, and she admits the test pushed her to her limits.

“Overall, I found the course very challenging,” she said.

“The swim was glorious and ideal conditions. My age group went off in the middle wave which meant there was a lot of traffic and people to overtake, which led to a slower time than I was aiming for, but I was happy with it.

“The bike section was tough with the final 30km uphill and into a headwind and a lot of traffic with the slower age groups ahead of us, which meant a lot of little sprint segments to overtake safely.

“The run course was stunning but cruel with a lot of little hills and the temperature was around 28C. The atmosphere was incredible though, as were all the volunteers, and the support of my team-mates and competitors across the course really kept me pushing to the finish.”

Keen sailing fans will be pleased to know that Nagel will not be completely lost to the sport as she continues to foster her love for stamina-sapping Ironmans, but there is one big event she has on her horizon.

“I’ve actually already qualified for the 2025 70.3 Worlds in Marbella next November so the real aim is to get into the top ten in my age group and in the dream scenario top 50 overall, but I know I have a lot of work to do to achieve that,” Nagel said

“I’m planning on doing my first full distance as well but I have no idea what to expect having never even run a marathon before.

“It will be a mix of sailing and triathlon in 2025. I have two sailing teams I’ll be racing with in Europe and I will continue my work as a data analyst. But I’m also keen to prioritise triathlon training, race more and just see what I can achieve.”

Nagel was one of four Bermudians competing in the Ironman World Championships, with Nicole Mitchell finishing 112th in the 40-44 age group and 922nd overall in 5:32:59.

Becky Ronaldson also competed in the 40-44 age group, completing the course in 5:58:02, finishing 198th in her age group and 1,087th overall, with Zoey Roberts 221st in the 45-49 age group and 1,550th overall after clocking 6:18:12.