JUST days ago, Jersey’s Siena Stephens was living the dream.
The Supertri Pro Series Final came to Jersey with a bang and delivered a true sporting spectacle.
Olympic medallists and world champions squared off for the sport’s single biggest payday, battling it out on the tight and technical course for a share of the mammoth $800,000 prize pot.
Yes, the likes of Alex Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown brought immense star power to draw the fans, but the crowds had their own local talent to cheer on in 19-year-old sensation Siena Stephens.
This year’s event may not have been Stephens’ first foray into the format, after being called in as a last-gasp replacement last year alongside fellow star Luke Holmes, but this year proved to be an entirely different challenge.
Whether it was the Olympic champion in Cassandre Beaugrand, all-time great Georgia Taylor-Brown or reigning Supertri champion Jeanne Lehair, the field was absolutely stacked.
But that did not get to the young Caesarean, as she fought valiantly to put on a show for the home crowd.
Every time Stephens entered transition, the cheers, the claps and all the noise seemed to blast outside the stratosphere, as the crowd was fully behind their home hero to push her forward.
She may not have made it past the first round, but Stephens certainly put everyone on notice – we have ourselves a star. Stephens was well in the mix up against the world’s best and certainly made a statement on the big stage.
“I had the best time over the weekend – it’s definitely taken some time to take in the experience and recover from that crazy day,” said Stephens.
“To have had the opportunity to be a part of this event for the second year running is just amazing. I’ve had to much support from Supertri this past week to help me feel settled and I’m extremely grateful.
“To have had this opportunity so early in my hopeful triathlon career is something I don’t take for granted – I’m so lucky. It’s incredible to have this opportunity to put myself on the world stage, it’s shown me the level I’m aspiring to reach and what it will take to get there.
The 19-year-old phenom then delved into her race-day experience, saying: “The swim was immense for me, I had a really good start position on the pontoon and started well. To come out the water in fifth place, in front of the likes of Georgia Taylor-Brown, was incredible and something I’ll never forget.
“I definitely hit the race hard, as the bike and run stages were really tough and it felt as if I was hanging on in that first round, which eventually led to me being shown the red flag of elimination.
“I would’ve loved to have made it further, but I can definitely see improvements from last year and to be within a minute and a half of the Olympic champion is such an honour.”
Such an opportunity proved to be a great learning experience for the young triathlete, with this being the biggest race of her young career so far.
“I’ve learnt so much through this experience – from respect for these amazing athletes to confidence in my own ability, or even inspiring people here in Jersey. Speaking to some of the young kids reminded me of how far I’ve come, but there’s still a long way to go,” Stephens continued.
Stephens performing on such a huge stage will surely come as inspiration, showing us all that, with hard work and dedication, it really is possible for athletes here in Jersey to reach the highest levels.
“I really hope this weekend has inspired some of the younger generation coming through, even if it’s just one person who takes it up or stays in the sport, that would be incredible,” said the Jersey star.
“I think being able to see all the tri-stars and children was the best part of the day. My message to them would be that sport is hard and there are so many times in life where it would be easy to give up, but if you just keep going, there will be so much to come – just have fun with it.”
