World champion title not enough for Stortford triathlete Emma Deary

Becoming a world champion triathlete only a few years after swapping hockey for the endurance sport is pretty good going.

But Emma Deary is far from settling for that – she wants to take on and beat the best on the planet over the half Ironman distance.

Deary, 29, fancied a new challenge four years ago, having played hockey for Saffron Walden, and was inspired by the Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Jonny, at the 2012 London Olympics.

She took to it straight away and became world champion in the 25-29 age category at last year’s world championships in Mexico.

With that mastered, Deary moved onto the half Ironman – a 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run – and again proved a natural, coming second at her first attempt and going on to finish ahead of professionals in another event.

She has now been awarded her pro licence and has come in the top five in both professional half Ironman events she has competed in so far, in Dublin and Weymouth.

“It had been the Olympics the year before and that was probably the first time triathlon had come onto my radar,” said Deary, a former Newport Free Grammar School pupil who now lives in Bishop’s Stortford.

“I could run, having played hockey, someone at work got me into cycling and I used to swim when I was little.

“I came second in my first one so I thought I’d do it a bit more. I just kept getting better and doing better.

“I broke my collarbone in a race and that set me back a bit, but I got back into it and I qualified to represent Great Britain at age-group level.

“My plan was to get my pro licence by the end of this year, so it’s very exciting.”

Deary is a member of Stortford Tri, Bishop’s Stortford Swimming Club and Bishop’s Stortford Running Club, fitting in her training around her job as a sustainability manager at DP World London Gateway.

And she is looking to secure sponsorship to enable her to concentrate her efforts on beating the best in the world on a regular basis.

“I’m looking for sponsors to help me become a full-time athlete,” said Deary, who is looking forward to next year’s world championships in South Africa.

“I’m now competing against the best in the world, so being able to train more and work less would help me challenge to become the best.”

Visit emmadearytri.co.uk to find out more about Deary’s quest and to sponsor her.