Lara Buttigieg’s participation at the 2016 Xterra World Championships saw her travel from one small island in the Mediterranean to the larger one of Maui, Hawaii, in the Pacific.

Appropriately known as the Aloha state, Maui welcomed over 800 endurance athletes from all parts of the world for the Xterra Worlds, the foremost off-road triathlon – a 1.5km swim, a 32km mountain bike and a 10.5km trail run.

Buttigieg, of Agones SFC, earned the right to take part after qualifying via the recently-held Xterra Italy race.

The choppy waves and strong currents were a stark contrast to the conditions Buttigieg is normally used to in Malta but she still fared pretty well in the opening segment coming out of the water fourth in her category.

Buttigieg had sharpened her off-road cycling skills ahead of the trip to Hawaii but the muddy terrain, a result of 36 hours of incessant rain, saw her lose precious time.

In fact, she had to walk some parts of the track besides stopping to remove the mud that was blocking her bike’s wheels.

Keeping a strong focus on the run, half of which was through hilly terrain, Buttigieg made the most of the downhill part resulting in her flying to the finish line to complete the race in a respectable seventh place in her section.

“This race was certainly something out of my comfort zone and some segments came a bit of a shock for me,” she said.

“However, I kept my focus throughout and finished seventh in a pool of 10 athletes. I am certainly proud to have been through this experience and can say that I raced like never before.

“Racing and meeting up with competitors from other parts of the globe, as well as attending some very interesting clinics by Xterra, were also a highlight of this trip.”

Buttigieg practises with the Elite Sports Triathlon Training Team which is managed by Danica Bonello Spiteri.

She expressed her gratitude towards Bonello Spiteri for the coaching advice she gets, Agones SFC, Niumee Clinics and the Malta Triathlon Federation.

In her preparation for the Xterra Worlds, she was also assisted by Joseph Buttigieg.