Bermuda Olympian Erica Hawley reflected on a transformative 2025 season, describing it as a year of "trying new things" and prioritizing personal autonomy before the intensity of the next Olympic cycle begins.
After an eight-month break following the Paris Olympics, Hawley reignited her campaign in February at the World Triathlon Cup in Napier, New Zealand, where she secured an encouraging ninth-place finish.
Throughout the summer, she found a "flow state" during a successful stint in Canada, earning back-to-back podium finishes with a runner-up spot in Magog followed by third place in Montreal. These performances bolstered her world ranking and provided a vital confidence boost as she navigated a season that balanced elite short-course competition with new challenges.
A significant milestone in Hawley’s season came in October, when she competed in her first Elite World Championship Final in Wollongong, Australia. Navigating a challenging course at Cove Beach, she delivered a consistent performance across all three disciplines—swimming 1.5km in 20:11, cycling 40km in 1:02:35, and closing with a sub-38 minute 10km run—to finish 28th in the world.
Hawley noted that the experience of racing at the highest level of the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) was invaluable, exposing areas for growth and providing a clear direction for her technical focus heading into the next year.
Hawley concluded her 2025 campaign by stepping into the world of long-course racing with an impressive debut at the Ironman 70.3 La Quinta in California. Despite facing "rookie mistakes," such as minor technical issues with her hydration system and adjusting to a new time-trial bike, she secured an 8th-place finish in the professional women’s division with a total time of 4:17:32.
Currently spending the holidays in Bermuda before returning to her training base in Boulder, Colorado, Hawley is already looking ahead to 2026. With Olympic qualification set to begin in May, she intends to integrate more 70.3 distances into her schedule while maintaining a primary focus on her journey toward the next Olympic Games.
