For Lucy Charles-Barclay, Lanzarote is more than just a training base. It’s a second home – a windswept, volcanic outpost where the grind of long rides in the wind and heat shapes champions.

“It’s hot there, it’s windy there, it’s tough,” she says of Lanzarote, not a million miles away from what she can expect in Kona.

“And sometimes mental training definitely comes in there when you’re doing long rides in that wind, but it’s just nicer to get the job done in a stunning environment.

“We were at Club La Santa again – it’s an amazing place and I know pretty much all the staff there now – and it’s about just getting the job done,” she told TRI247 as she readied herself for a return to Kona, two years on from that career-defining victory at the IRONMAN World Championship.

She laughs that the only thing missing are her dogs. “If I could have my dogs there, I’d probably never leave!” And that relaxed mindset says a lot about where Charles-Barclay is right now: settled, focussed – and ready to strike.

A year ago: the heartbreak of missing Nice

It hasn’t always been that way. Just a year ago, she stood on the sidelines in Nice, having withdrawn on the eve of the IRONMAN World Championship because of a calf strain.

Watching the race unfold without her was, she admits: “One of the toughest days of my career. It was so hard, but looking back it was the right decision. I sat out the rest of the season to focus on getting strong – and this year it’s all paid off.”

The contrast could not be sharper. Three wins already this season including a huge home triumph at T100 London.

Why Kona still defines the season

And now, a Kona build-up that she labelled “smooth, steady, and consistent.”

“Yeah, it’s been a really smooth training block which is exactly what we wanted – no dramas. I guess the goal of the whole year has just been consistency, not doing anything crazy and just building throughout the year, throughout the season.”

Working with coach Dan Lorang and husband Reece, she has avoided the pitfalls of over-racing. “I’d race every weekend if I could,” she smiles. Instead, they’ve honed her programme around the race that still means the most to her.

With the T100 and the IRONMAN Pro Series, there has never been so much choice and Red Bull athlete Lucy explains: “There’s so many great races which means actually deciding where to race is really, really difficult. And for me at the moment, I’m trying to make everything work around Kona. It’s the biggest race of the year for me – the one I love the most.

“And although I’m not the defending IRONMAN World Champion, I feel like I’m kind of the defending champion from Kona. So, it was earmarked as the biggest race for the year for me and then I wanted to make all the other racing work around it.

“T100 London for me was a really special race, being a home race. So I always wanted to do well there as well. But I always had Kona in mind even with that race. So, yeah, it’s difficult. I think you have to be smart and you can’t be too greedy.”

Clear focus

And so she heads back to Hawaii, scene of her crowning glory in 2023, with renewed confidence but less pressure. She has already achieved the dream. What comes next feels like bonus territory.

“I just want to focus on myself, execute my plan, and enjoy the race. If I do that, a good result will come.”

For Lucy Charles-Barclay, Kona 2025 is not just another race. It is the culmination of resilience, patience, and the simple joy of being able to do what she loves – with her dogs waiting faithfully at home for her return.

• Click here for part one of this interview as Lucy predicts a new course record will be required to win in Kona this year.

To find out more about Lucy Charles-Barclay, you can visit her Red Bull athlete page here