The 28-year-old took out the standard solo event, in a time of 1:55:30 - edging out second-placed Oliver Graham by close to eight seconds.

"Every win is very special for me," Lewis said.

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"When I started triathlon, I was so far off ever winning a race, whether it was big or small - so know every time I get to cross the finish line in first place I am extremely appreciative and grateful to be in this position."

Saturday's race, which was Lewis' first in 2021, was over a 1.5km swim, 43km bike and 10km run course.

"The race was a lot tougher than I thought it would be," the Jervis Bay Triathlon Club athlete, who last competed in Callala's sprint event in December, said.

"The swim was challenging, as we were up against the current in the river.

"There were also a few muddy banks where it was too shallow to swim, so you had to try run/walk through those sections.

"The bike course was flat and fast and I was able to create a big gap on that leg, which was a solid safety net for the run.

"Once onto the run, I got into a strong pace early and was able to enjoy the lead I had.

"I still had my next race at Huskisson in the back of my mind, so I wanted to run hard to build some good fitness for the main race of my season."

As such, the St Johns alumnus is confident this event will put him in a strong position to produce his best-ever performance at Huskisson on Sunday, February 28.

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"The race was great preparation for Husky in a couple of weeks," he said.

"With the addition of the PTO [Professional Triathletes Organisation] adding extra money for the professionals, it's going to be the biggest Husky professional field ever and I am really excited to race the best guys in Australia in my own backyard.

"I feel ready to race to my potential and get the best out of myself come the last Sunday in February."

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