TANIA Tan is a 20-year-old multi-sport CNMI athlete who is a student at Fordham University in New York City. She is currently majoring in communications with a focus on digital technology and emerging media as well as anthropology and minoring in sports journalism.
She said her mother, Lydia, is one of the persons who inspire her.
“Her hard work, perseverance and work ethic — she used to be a national bowler for her home country of Malaysia,” Tania said. “Her determination and confidence inspire me.”
The running scene is where Tania shines bright. On Jan. 21, 2022, during the Ramapo College season opener indoor track meet at the Armory Track in New York City, she set a new CNMI 3000m record with a time of 10:57.58 surpassing her old record of 11:26.54 set at the Stockton University Invitational in 2021.
In New York City, Tan finished seventh overall and was the second Fordham runner to cross the finish line, helping her team secure victory at the meet.
Fordham scored 120 points, followed by Iona University with 76 points and Wagner University with 71.5 points.
Fordham is a NCAA Division 1 school, competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
“I hope to inspire other athletes back home that even though we’re from Saipan with limited resources and competition, it’s possible to make it out there in the big world…if you put in the hard work and believe in yourself. I have improved so much as a runner since coming to college so when times get tough, you have to keep pushing and grinding because in the end, you will be able to achieve your goals.”
In the CNMI, she topped Saipan’s 1-mile event, and was part of the Commonwealth team that saw action in international competitions such as the 2019 Pacific Games (5000m/Half-Marathon), the 2018 All-Schools Cross Country Championships (1st Place U18, Girls Team Champions), and the 2018 Asia Pacific Country Championships (All-Island, Third Place Girls Team).
“I’m not sure if this counts but I think I ‘broke the bias’ when I left home and came to college. By moving to NYC and attending Fordham, it forced me to socialize and make friends with people I’ve never really interacted with much before. In Saipan, most of my friends were Asian but now in college, most of them are white because Fordham is a predominantly white school. Back home, since the island is so small, everyone knows everyone and you have been friends with the same people since you were four years old. All my closest friends back home are people I’ve known for over 10 years because we went to the same school, played on the same sports team, and grew up together.”
At Fordham, “I had a hard time being comfortable and trying to fit in but as time progressed, I learned that I had to ‘break the bias’ by realizing that I won’t find the exact same people back home as I would in NYC and I had to accept that. I made new friends who are much different people than those back home, and I am glad I went out of my comfort zone so interact with people outside my in-group.”
Aside from sports, Tan also has her own YouTube channel which she started in 2012.
“Wow, that’s 10 years ago thinking about it. Time flies. I started it because I got a small mini camera for my birthday that year that could film underwater, so I thought, why not make videos underwater and post them on YouTube to showcase my skill on flipping underwater and teaching people how to do it.” Which was her first video posted on the platform.
Tania also uses YouTube as a way to reach out “to empower other young women by showing them that you don’t need anyone else’s approval to post videos. All you have to do is have confidence and start posting. You can post whatever you want, whenever you want. I used to feel shy about posting YouTube videos and felt like people would judge me for talking to a camera or my phone and posting it online for everyone to see. However, in recent years, I’ve learned to not care about what others think but to do it for me and myself only. I post my YouTube videos because I want to look back at the memories of trips that I’ve taken….”
As a YouTuber, Tania said she constantly faces the challenge of putting out videos regularly and creating content that is interesting. “Because I’m pretty busy with being a student-athlete, sometimes I find it hard to find the time to create content that my viewers would like. I like to make vlogs so sometimes I feel like a few of my vlogs are about the same things, but I try not to think about it too much and rather post the videos because I want to.”
In the CNMI, she noted that more women are now serving in elective positions, and that one of the islands’ two major political parties has nominated a woman for governor.
“It’s a starting point to show that women are beginning to be granted equal opportunities,” Tania said.
As for young women who also want to be an athlete and/or a YouTuber, Tania offers the following advice:
“I would say to not care about what other people think and do it for you. If you’re passionate about something, keep persevering and never give up. Have confidence in yourself that everything will be okay and your life will go as planned. In the end, it is your life so you want to be doing it for yourself. As my dad [businessman Jerry Tan] used to say, life is short so pursue what you’re passionate about.”
Tania Tan, a student-athlete at Fordham University in New York City, started her YouTube channel in 2012, sharing travel and lifestyle content.
