By Katalina Siasau
Tongan swimmer Noelani Day (21), a two-time Olympian, is set to compete in the women’s 50m freestyle heat at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Games. She is proud to be part of the Tongan Olympic team, "I think that representing your nation is one of the greatest things that you can do, so for me, it's a really big blessing."
Noelani, who hails from Holonga, Tongatapu, currently resides in Los Angeles, California, and is a freshman attending the University of Southern California (USC), majoring in Human Biology.
Her 50m freestyle personal record at the World Aquatic Swimming Championship in July 2023, in Fukuoka Japan at 28.24 seconds, has earned her a qualification to the Paris Olympics.
Noelani's preparation for her second Olympics was a lot difference from her first Olympic as a school girl in Tonga. Now she is a full time university student.
"Now I have the commitment of being a full time college student and also working. On top of that having to train, and then also still having to do academic things outside of the classroom," she told Matangi Tonga.
At one point, Noelani had to choose between her career and trying to make her second Olympic happen, so she delayed her application to attended physical therapy school by a year.
"Summer last year, I was trying to decide to apply to physical therapy school and to be able to work internships. So be able to apply, or do I go to train and try to make my second Olympic? Ultimately, I chose to try and make my second Olympic. Trying to decide between delaying my career by a year or shooting for Olympics was a sacrifice I had to make."
Noelani trained at her school's pool facility before heading to Paris. Her competition is scheduled for 3 August.
Her coach is her mother, Vila Day.
Mr. Christos Stathis is the coach travelling with the team to Paris.
Homegrown Olympian
In 2011, Noelani, at eight years old, became a part of Tonga’s first ever local swim team.
At thirteen, Noelani won four gold and four silver medals at the SC Central Region Age Group Invitational 2016 in Suva, Fiji.
She represented Tonga at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) on 18 July, 2017, in Nassau, Bahamas.
Noelani was the first ever “homegrown” swimmer to represent Tonga at the Olympics Games. The Tokyo 2021, was her first Olympic.
