Michelle Mifsud has etched her name in the history books of ultra triathlon in Malta after becoming the first Maltese woman to complete a double ironman at the Bretzel Ultra triathlon earlier this month.
This is the first time in the history of ultra triathlon in Malta that a female athlete has managed to achieve this feat.
An Ironman is already a brutal race on its own, let alone doubling up the distance. Participants in the race had to swim 7.6km, then embark on a cycle of 360km before finishing off with an 84.4km run.
A total of 17 athletes took part in the race, men and women, and Mifsud managed to complete the distance in 28 hours 36 minutes and 54 seconds, which saw her not only finish sixth overall but more impressively end up in second place in the women’s category.
Mifsud was only second to French athlete Mareile Hertel, who crossed the finish line in 25 hours and 48 seconds.
Italy’s Gaia Giulietti completed the podium when clocking a time of 33 hours 32 minutes, and 56 seconds.
Contacted by the Times of Malta, Mifsud was naturally emotional after completing the feat, which also saw her set a new national record on the distance.
“Taking on an endurance race is more than just a physical challenge – it’s an emotional rollercoaster. You experience everything: fear, self-doubt, tranquility, exhaustion, hope, happiness, and eventually, deep satisfaction in knowing you broke limits you thought you had,” she said.
“The toughest part for me was cycling through pitch darkness in the middle of nowhere, with hardly anyone around. I spent nearly five hours like that. Oddly enough, it made me look forward to the run.”
Mifsud said that her result in the French city of Colmar is the fruit of long months of hard work and sacrifice, away from her family.
“What most people don’t see is the work that happens in the background,” Mifsud said.
“I trained twice a day, averaging 21 hours of training every week for the past 26 weeks. When you include the hours I spent walking my dogs, that number climbs to 26 hours a week. There were even times when I worked 20 hours and trained for 30, as I also have a full-time job.
“I was out of the house a lot, and anyone who truly knows me is aware just how much I miss my dogs when I’m away. That was one of the hardest parts emotionally.
I don’t rely on motivation. I’m discipline-oriented. My weekends didn’t exist for rest – they were reserved for long sessions. I’d travel to Sicily almost monthly to cycle in safer conditions.”
‘Success becomes sustainable’
Mifsud said that one thing that drove her towards this exceptional feat was to try and set an example for her son and prove that you can only achieve success through hard work.
“My true goal is to set an example for my son, who’s currently at university. I want to show him that there are no shortcuts – just hard work, consistency, and the willingness to push through discomfort. That’s how success becomes sustainable,” the 35-year-old said.
“I believe mental training is just as important – if not more – than physical preparation. I train alone 95% of the time, because it’s in those solitary hours that you learn to confront and move through the darker moments you inevitably face during a race.”
Mifsud may have become Malta’s first female ultra triathlete to complete a Double Ironman, but is keen to see more women compete in triathlon and says nothing is impossible if someone is driven to achieve their objectives.
“I set out to raise the bar for women in endurance sports,” Mifsud said.
“Malta already has an exceptional trail runner, but female representation in triathlon still has room to grow. I completed my first Ironman in 2022. Just a few years later, I’ve now completed a double.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m incredibly grateful to have endured the training and enjoyed the race.
“If seeing someone ordinary like me – someone who simply set her mind to something and followed through – inspires even one woman, then I’m deeply humbled by that. Because I truly believe that if we consistently work for a particular goal, we can achieve it.”
