Sam Warriner spent the best part of a week in the air to get her award at the ITU annual gala awards ceremony in Madrid on Friday, but said it was all worth it after arriving home in Whangarei yesterday.
"I wasn't really keen on going because it's so far from
home but I'm so glad I did ... it was a very special moment to be recognised among the great athletes of the world, who have had their names on that cup, like my coach Siri Linley, Vanessa Fernandez, Emma Snowsill and Hamish Carter, it was an unbelievable feeling," she said.
Characteristically it didn't take Warriner long to get out and do some training to get the travel out of her system. She arrived in Whangarei at 10.30am and was out running a couple of hours later.
"It was nice to get out in the rain and clear my head and get all of the flight out of my legs, very good for my circulation."
The hard working athlete didn't have long to relax though, driving to an engagement to speak to Mangawhai Year 8 students.
Today she plans to start her build-up to the ITU's new Golden League series that begins with a race in Singapore on May 8-9.
"I've had my holiday now, with two weeks of light and easy training, tomorrow is my first day back into training," she said.
