Tiara DeRosa On National Championships
Discus thrower Tiara DeRosa said she hopes to break her national record when she returns home to compete at the National Championships at the Flora Duffy Stadium this weekend.
DeRosa broke the national discus record three times during a Bermuda National Athletics Association meet at the Flora Duffy Stadium in March.
Her current record stands at 51.03 metres.
The national champion, who lives in Dallas, Texas, said she is feeling in fine form, having posted a throw of 50.40 at the Oklahoma Throws Series in Ramona, Oklahoma, last month.
“I’m feeling positive and looking forward to seeing what I can produce,” DeRosa told Bernews.
“My last few meets have been rained out, so I’m exciting about competing again.
“This is my first year being away from home and returning for the National Championships.
“I feel as though I can break the national record again based my training and recent performances.
“Hopefully, everything comes together nicely.”
DeRosa said her confidence has grown since teaming up with her new coach, Jared Tyler, at Momentum Throws in Dallas-Fort Worth.
“I did a camp in October [last year], and I liked his programme and vibe,” she said.
“I was like, ‘I’m moving to the US soon, so this makes sense’.
“Being able to dial in more, being more athletic and having more self-belief has made a difference.”
DeRosa, 28, is preparing to compete at her second Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, this summer.
She placed eleventh with a best throw of 45.79 at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, where she became the first Bermudian woman to compete in the discus throw at this level.
“The Commonwealth Games is the big one for me,” she added. “It felt like a shark being in a bigger cage – I felt tiny, but it’s OK. You get over it.
“I’m as motivated as ever. Throwing is something I love – it’s a part of me now and makes me happy.”
