There was just a 30-minute gap between two proud moments for Northern Mariana Islands at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. First, 15 year-old Piper Raho jumped into the Women’s 200m Backstroke, followed closely by 16 year-old Michael Miller in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, both securing personal bests and representing their nation with maturity beyond their years.
In the opening swim, Piper, the youngest in her race, held her own beautifully in a four-swimmer heat that included fellow Pacific Islander Marseleima Moss from Fiji. Piper touched the wall in 2:38.43, a new personal best by more than six seconds from her previous time of 2:44.97 from the XIII OSA Championships last year in Australia.
“I was really scared to swim it,” she admitted honestly. “Doing mid-distances makes me a little bit nervous, but I think I swam it pretty strong, and I got a PB.” Despite the nerves, the result left her pleased: “It feels pretty nice, seeing my time now makes me happy.”
Minutes later, Michael took to the blocks in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, one of the most competitive races of the day, featuring swimmers from the Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Fiji. With a cool head and a sharp start, Michael surged to a personal best of 25.28, finishing third in his heat and far exceeding his expectations.
“It went much better than I expected,” he said. “Usually before races I’m much more nervous, like during my 50 Fly, but this time I stayed relaxed and composed and I did much better than I thought I would.” He attributed the improvement to one simple change: “I got a lot of sleep the night before, so I guess that helped!”
Their results are impressive, but it’s their approach to racing: calm, self-aware and grounded is what truly stands out. Piper prepares by visualising her race and meditating – “It works really well and keeps me grounded. That’s what puts me in the right mental state to swim.” Michael takes a similar positive mental approach: “Stretching, trusting in my coach, trusting in my technique and just trying my best.”
As some of the youngest athletes in the competition, both have embraced the learning curve. “It’s pretty scary,” Piper said of racing more experienced swimmers. “But I just like to do my best and work on myself.” Michael echoed that sentiment, saying, “There’s a lot more work to be done. I’ve learned to stay calm during races and focus on myself, not on how other people race.”
Their focus now shifts to tomorrow’s team relay, and both athletes are locked in and ready to close their meet on a high. Piper plans to sharpen her freestyle with sprint work tonight, while Michael shared his approach: “Get some good rest in, maybe swim in the afternoon, make sure I keep that good feel for the water like I did this morning, and try to be as consistent as possible tomorrow.”
Staying grounded and disciplined, as they have demonstrated all week, will be key as they join teammates Maria Batallones and Kouki Watanabe in the Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay.
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By The Reporters’ Academy Photos by Andrea Schuster