TENBY athlete Stephanie Waring stormed to victory at the World Triathlon Sprint Championships in Wollongong, Australia, clinching gold in the 50–54 female age group after an electrifying performance against elite international competition.

Stephanie Waring, a sports massage therapist and personal trainer, had set her sights on a top-10 finish—but exceeded all expectations by clinching gold in the 50–54 female age group, outpacing a strong field that included 30 formidable Australian athletes.

“It still feels totally surreal to be called a world champion,” said Stephanie. “But I have to say, it definitely makes me smile very proudly when I’m called it.”

Stephanie, who runs fitness classes at Tenby Leisure Centre, tackled the sprint triathlon format: a 750m swim, 20km bike ride, and 5km run—all under the blistering Australian sun.

A proud member of Tenby Aces cycling club, she reflected on her achievement: “This was beyond my wildest ever dreams.

“I’d secretly hoped and would have been delighted to be top 10, knowing the Aussies are notoriously strong, and there were 30 of them on the start line.

“But I’d beaten them, on their own turf too. I literally could not comprehend what had just happened.”

The race began with a last-minute change to the swim route due to rough seas outside the harbour wall. Amid a chaotic mass start involving 59 swimmers and some “ankle pulling and argy bargy,” Stephanie emerged 10th from the water.

She then powered through the bike section, with just 30 seconds separating the top three. As she transitioned into the run, Stephanie began to believe a podium finish might be within reach. She delivered a flawless final leg, overtaking younger athletes from earlier waves and wasn’t passed by a single runner.

After a tense wait for the official results, it was confirmed: Stephanie had won—by a commanding one minute and 34 seconds, a remarkable margin in a sprint triathlon.

Her victory has earned her automatic qualification for the 2026 World Triathlon Sprint Championships in Spain.

She also plans to return to the European Championships, where she finished second in her age group this past August, and will compete in the 2026 World Triathlon Standard Championships, having won a UK qualifier in Kent before heading to Australia.

“I haven’t done as many standards. They’re quite different beasts,” she explained. “The sprints are hard in terms of you’ve got to go full gasp really from the start whilst in the standards you’ve got to learn to pace yourself a bit better because it’s double the distance and you’ve got to be quite careful not to go full gasp too soon and hit the wall.”