It's been almost four years since Charlotte McShane represented Australia at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Since then, the 31-year-old has hardly raced. A series of recurring injuries have crippled her triathlon career, the athlete forced to watch from the sidelines and missing a place in the Tokyo Olympics team.
McShane is confident, however, she's starting to turn the corner and if Wednesday's performance in the Wollongong Aquathon is anything to go by, she's right on track to return to her peak.
Read more: Australia honours community champions
The triathlete blitzed her opposition in the annual Australia Day event, winning the women's race by a almost three minutes. Sophie Ferenczi was second, with Grace Mahon third.
McShane has gradually returned to full training over the past six months and after making a winning start to the year, she's confident the stage is set for a successful 12 months.
"It's been a really difficult few years," McShane said. "I went to the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and since then it was a bit of a nightmare three years.
"I've been building back up, it's taken a long time. I've been very patient, but I'm starting to feel real good again. I've had a really great last six months of training where I've been consistent and I feel really great. I hope I can stay injury free and build some momentum.
"This is just the beginning of my race season. It's nice to go out there and practice and remember what it feels like before some of my bigger races."
McShane's journey to Wollongong has been a winding one.
Born in Scotland, her family moved to Bairnsdale in country Victoria when she was 15-years-old.
From there, she eventually linked up with the Wollongong Wizards and shifted to the Illawarra to train with Jamie Turner's elite squad.
That group is no more, McShane instead spending much of the past two years back in Victoria.
She has now set up base in Wollongong, where the triathlete will launch her bid to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
McShane will spend the next couple of months building up her training, before the key qualifying events kick off in the autumn.
Should McShane make it to the United Kingdom and compete in her second Commonwealth Games, it will see her career come full circle.
"I'd love to go back to the UK," McShane said. "Racing in the UK, it still feels like home, so it's always nice to go back there.
"It would be pretty special if I was able to race the Commonwealth Games here in Australia and then do it in the UK, the two places I call home. I'd love to go back to the UK."
McShane's win came as Shoalhaven talent Mitchell Cunningham took out the men's Aquathon.
The 24-year-old finished ahead of Josh Wooldridge and Matt Lewis.
Wednesday's race was a sprint compared to Cunningham's preferred long-distance triathlons. While the next race on his calendar is the Husky 70.3 in February, the triathlete proved adept at the shorter events.
"It was a good race," Cunningham said. "There was a lot of people out there supporting Australia Day. It's pretty cool to see them getting out celebrating the wonderful country we live in."