‘Team NMI exceeded expectations’

Team NMI’s performance at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands was nothing short of impressive and definitely exceeded expectations, as attested by its chef de mission Nick Gross.

The team returned to Saipan on Dec. 3 and brought home with them five gold, one silver, and seven bronze medals for a total of 13—the most ever by Team NMI in the Pacific Games.

“Team NMI exceeded expectations at the Games! With the most medals ever earned…along with a new Pacific Games record in the women’s 5K and numerous personal bests and national records being set. I remain in awe of our ability to rise to the challenge and compete!” said Gross.

The team was a mixture of the youth and veteran athletes, and for many of the young athletes, it was their first time to compete on such a huge scale. Gross said, “Between battling with the environmental challenges, and more importantly, lack of reliable WiFi/data, I’m thankful that our team managers and coaches were able to keep these student athletes focused on competitions while still dedicating time daily to keep up with their studies.”

Gross acknowledged that despite not having a pool to train on Saipan, the young swim team collected as many medals as they could. Gross said of their performance, “We had an exceptionally young team of swimmers that brought home medals in the relays and supported each other daily during week one of the Games, along with Isaiah Aleksenko’s individual medal performances. I certainly congratulate them on a fantastic showing in the pool.”

There were also a number of student athletes in the 10 sports NMI participated in and Gross said they all competed at “high levels.” He said of those young athletes, “Hopefully, we can keep many of these athletes engaged and continue to train for regional competitions slated for ’24 and ’25.”

Gross thanked the young adults and veterans in the team for “their continued leadership and ability to focus under tough conditions. Very proud of their accomplishments and leadership exhibited throughout!”

With the seemingly tumultuous yet rewarding experience in the 19 days in the South Pacific from Nov. 15 to Dec. 2, Gross believed that the team “grew tremendously as individuals and as a team over the course of so many days away from the luxuries of home. It’s not easy to leave life behind and get through the daily hurdles of staying appropriately hydrated, arranging transportation to and from training/competition venues and making sure to get to the dining hall during their hours of operation, but somehow, some way, they overcame and competed well.”

As for his personal experience as the team’s chef de mission, he said, “I’m thankful for the opportunity to lead Team NMI throughout these Games. The privilege was certainly worth the headache and frustrations that came with the position.” The biggest lesson he learned from the experience, he said, was that, “Like so many things in life, prepare for plans to be made only to be thrown out the window and redrawn on the fly!”

What he is most proud of about the team was the ability to “persevere and compete alongside 23 Pacific Games Associations.”

He then thanked his wife, children, and supporting family members for allowing him the opportunity to take part. He also thanked the Public School System and his Athletic Programs Team for supporting not only himself, but the vast number of students and staff.

He made special thanks to the 10 National Federations management, coaches, and athletes, “for their patience and understanding as we navigated the tough conditions, and finally to the [Northern Marianas Sports Association], and all of our sponsors for making the dream a reality and allowing Team NMI to send the largest ever delegation by way of chartered flight!”