When I went public with the decision to return to Bermuda, the tone of responses ranged from the congratulatory to the incredulous.

Leaving The Times was a difficult thing to do, being as it is right at the forefront of cutting-edge journalism. But I love Bermuda, I love Bermuda sport and I love Bermudians — and Bermuda-based athletes — excelling in sport.

So the decision was made to exchange London for Hamilton, grey skies for blue skies, rocky beaches for pink sand, fish and chips for codfish and potatoes, Andy Murray and Jessica Ennis for Tyler Butterfield and Flora Duffy. And Nahki Wells. And Kyrah Scraders. And Emma Harvey. And ...

Six months down the line and justification for that decision has been no more exemplified than by the events of the past fortnight, during which Bermudians have done the business at home and abroad. It has been an uplifting and motivational experience and strengthens the belief that this little Island can indeed be more than the sum of its parts on the international scene — especially when all the working parts are moving in the right direction.

Butterfield and Duffy have evolved into world-class athletes and Bermuda should be immensely proud of them. Despite being based in Boulder, Colorado, both go out of their way when competing all over the world to remind that these 21 square miles are recognised; they fly the Bermuda flag with pride.

While Butterfield, Bermuda’s 2013 Male Athlete of the Year, is in the midst of a well-deserved break after winning the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon in the middle of last month, Duffy has taken on the baton — and how. The 26-year-old has marked herself out as one of the most feared women in the world of off-road triathlon, better known as the XTERRA series.

Her body of achievement over the past three months is nothing short of remarkable and she shows no signs of stopping. The South African Championship was followed by fourth place in Florida, a resounding win in Las Vegas two weeks ago and then capped by victory in the inaugural Asia-Pacific Championship in New South Wales on Saturday, when she showed a clean pair of heels to a world-class field.

Through it all, she has kept Bermuda close to her heart, ever willing to spout the positive about her island upbringing.

Closer to home, we have a few who appear ready and willing to follow in her footsteps, if not her chosen profession.

Scraders, the middle-distance runner, has been sweeping all before her in local races and backed up her gold-medal performance at the 2013 Carifta Games in the Bahamas with a second 800 metres victory in Martinique. That her winning time was almost two seconds faster than the previous year suggests the 16-year-old is on an upward spiral. Her future is bright.

So, too, the even younger Harvey, who was the most prominent member of the Bermuda swimming team that returned this week from the Carifta Championships in Savaneta, Aruba, with an unprecedented 22 medals. If her nine-medal haul was not impressive enough, the manner in which the 12-year-old carried herself upon the team’s return home truly was.

It almost brought a tear to the eye to hear a well-spoken Bermudian of such tender years espouse the adage that there is no “i” in T.E.A.M. when many before might have felt that four gold and three silver medals should make it all about them.

Young Emma provided undeniable evidence in making it clear that she is not bigger than the team and that it is about us all. God bless her for it.

— Dexter Smith, The Royal Gazette, Deputy Editor (Sport)