The local triathlon community came out in force to compete in honour of Emma Norman and raise funds for cancer charity Pals during the National Triathlon Championships at Clearwater Beach on Sunday.

On a morning filled with emotion, Will Green and Maddie Durkin came away with top honours in races named in honour of Norman, who died from cancer last month at the age of 33.

More than $2,000 was raised on the day for Pals through personal donations and entry fees.

“A lot of people made donations on behalf of Emma to Pals while we gave all the entry fees to Pals as well,” Steven Petty, the Bermuda Triathlon Association president, told The Royal Gazette.

“Having been a valuable member of the association, it was agreed to name the event after Emma and it was great to see the turnout based on the idea to add a team into it with most of her friends.

“Emma has been a valuable member of the association as well as a competitor and a volunteer at a lot of the events where she didn't used to compete.

“It was an emotional day for a lot of people, for her fellow competitors who knew her and some who didn’t even know her. It also galvanised a lot of people to help and volunteer, which was nice to see.”

Green and Durkin both paid emotional tributes to Norman just moments after clinching victory in their respective divisions.

“Emma was loved by the triathlon community and wider community in Bermuda, so I definitely want to put a tribute out to her,” said Green, who crossed the line in 2hr 1min 22sec.

“It was fantastic to see such a good turnout for Emma and I am sure she was on everyone's mind throughout the race. I know she was on my mind and helped me through the tough periods in the race.

“I am sure we all took a lot of inspiration from Emma and we all really wished that she could've been here today racing.”

Durkin, who was also second overall in 2:07.41, added: “Emma was such a pillar part of our society, and everyone who knew her loved and respected her.

“As I was running, I passed Emma's mother out there, and it’s just a reminder to be so thankful for everything we have. Every day is such a gift and we have to be so thankful for our health, so thankful for each other.

“We do sport as a community and as a way to bond with each other, and she was such a good example of bringing that positive vibe to everything she did. She brought joy every time she showed up, and I tried to think about that today.”

Green, who recorded personal best times on the swim (21.22) and bike (58.36), was thrilled to retain his title and savoured victory in his second outing of the season.

“It feels absolutely fantastic,” said the 32-year-old, who led the entire way in the event, which consisted of 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run.

“It was a was a great field of really strong triathletes, so I had to push hard today and it was tough to come here and retain my title. It was a tough swim and I probably overcooked the bike a little bit as I just wanted to try and get a bit of a lead.

“The run was hot, humid and hilly, but I managed to be more relaxed on the run and enjoyed it, especially the last mile or so.”

Mike Evans (2:09.31) finished runner-up in the men’s division and also rounded off the top three on the overall podium. Ian Henderson (2:10.36) finished third among the men.

Durkin endured a tougher outing and she nearly quit during an eventful swim on the way to achieving victory in her first race of the year.

“I really struggled with my swim today,” she said. “I took on a lot of water on the first lap, so I lost my rhythm a bit and almost actually started quitting because I swallowed so much and couldn't settle myself. But by the second lap I found my rhythm, which was good.

“Fortunately, the bike and the run was pretty smooth so I was able to gain my rhythm again.”

The mother of two helped herself to an early birthday present as she turns 44 on May 5 and is reaping the benefits of her hard work.

“I felt really good,” she said. “I have been training consistently for the last couple of months with the Synergy Group on island, so that has put me in much better shape and I would say today's performance was definitely reflective of being fitter than I have been in the past.”

Ashley Couper (2:24.40) was runner-up among the women’s field followed by Meghan Diel (2:30.04) in third.