Tania Tan
IN the 2023 Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games, Tania Tan was not able to finish the 5,000m event. On Saturday, at the Oregon State High Performance Track and Field Meet, she not only completed the race, but she also set a new personal and NMI record by clocking 18:03.36.
“I was actually a little disappointed because I fell short of my goal of breaking 18 minutes,” she said. “But I told myself that I shouldn’t feel that way because I’ve come a long way, and I still gave it my best shot! Plus, I still set an outdoor track 5K PR and a new national record so I have so much to be grateful and happy for,” she added.
“I think I’ve come a long way, especially mentally. Yes, I may have gotten faster and fitter, but I think my mental strength has improved. Back then I was definitely not as mentally strong and would always doubt myself, thinking I’m not good enough. But I told myself that after all, it’s just running at the end of the day and we’re just running in circles.”
Tan, who won two gold medals in the 2023 Pacific Games, is a student in the masters communication program of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Fordham University in New York in 2023.
