Judy Paul (51) was competing in her first international meet.
She beat German Ria Jotter, who won silver at the world championships, to take the European title for 50-to-54-year-olds in Rimini.
The three stage event saw competitors run 11k, cycle 40k and run a further 5k.
Paul finished in 2 hr 27 min to beat Jotter by five minutes.
Paul, amazingly, only took up the duathlon in January.
But she has been training six days a week since and now has her eyes on the next world championships in Hungary in May.
She said: ‘I did not believe I had won until they said it over the loud speaker.
It proves you are never too old.
People I know were gobsmacked.
I am not a natural athlete.
I’m just stubborn and determined.
‘But you don’t do anything on your own.
I want to thank all the people who helped me.’ Paul finished 15th overall out of 70 competitors and was fourth overall on the bike after an outstanding performance.
She works for Bedell Group and was sponsored by her employers.
The former Jersey College for Girls student said she tailed the German silver medalist for the first 10k of her run before pushing ahead alone.
Paul represented Jersey at cycling in the 1997 Island Games, which were staged here.
But she has not competed since.
‘I need to improve on my running and my bike before the world championships.
Europe is one thing, but the world is another step.’ Jersey sports therapist Craig Meredith was also competing and finished 14th in the 25 to 30 year olds group.
The 25-year-old has been unable to train for six months after having major surgery on his inner ear.
He said: ‘It’s my only race this year so I was pleased with my performance.’ At last year’s European Championships Meredith finished ninth.
