Only in Grade 10, Talia Phangura of North Surrey Secondary has already amassed an impressive array of accolades, marking her as a rising talent in the throws world. As she continues to develop in the sport, Phangura is proving that when it comes to throwing - whether it's a shot put, hammer or discus - the sky's the limit for her what she can accomplish.
I caught up with Phangura about her provincial and national titles, her training group and what she hopes to achieve this outdoor season.
Personal Bests
Shot Put: 14.84m
Discus Throw: 36.27m
Hammer Throw: 48.02m
Career Accolades
2023 BC High School Junior Shot Put & Discus Champion | Hammer Bronze
2023 Legion U16 Nationals Shot Put Champion | Discus Silver | Hammer Bronze
BC U16 Shot Put, Discus, Hammer Throw Champion
2022 BC High School Junior Shot Put Champion | Discus Silver
2022 BC Summer Games Shot Put & Discus Champion
2022 Legion U16 National Hammer Throw Champion | Discus Bronze
Phangura's journey in athletics started at a young age and from there she never looked back.
"When I was in Grade 3 I tried out for the school track team. I originally wanted to do the sprints and long jump, but shot put was the only event I qualified for. I ended up getting third and the next year my mom put me in a track club so I could get more practice."
As Phangura continued through the sport she started to learn valuable lessons about what it means to become an elite athlete. In Grade 8 she went on to become the Legion National Champion in the hammer throw with a mark of 44.02m, winning by over 25cm. She went onto become a National Champion once again the following year, but this time in the shot put with a distance of 14.48m, a meter and a half better than second place.
"From the beginning of high school to now, I've grown as an athlete physically and mentally. One big thing track has taught me is how to stay strong mentally. I've lost meets I thought I could've won, but I didn't let it get me down and I kept training. My coach reminds me that it's all about a long term plan and that ups and downs will happen, you just have to stick to a plan which has definitely worked so far."
During her Grade 9 year Phangura proved just that as she continued to throw far. She became a multiple-time provincial champion. At the 2023 BC High School Provincial Championships she won the Junior Girls shot put with a mark of 14.23m - second place was 12.50m. Phangura also placed first in the discus with a distance of 36.27m and rounded out the championship with a bronze medal in the hammer throw with a mark of 48.02m.
"This year I won two golds at the BC High School Championships. In both events I was really nervous at the beginning, but I settled down and ended up hitting two new personal bests and coming away with a good result and wins in each of those events. It was my first 'big' meet of the year and it took a few rounds for me to shake the nerves away and get dialed. At Legions I won the shot put but it took me much longer to hit one. My best throw came in the fifth round when I was in third place. It was also my first meet where my coach wasn't there so it was a good learning experience too."
It is these big moments that can really shape an athlete, especially adapting to new environments, competing against new athletes and having to go through the movements and still perform - a coach can really help prepare an athlete in these areas, along with teammates and Phangura has just that.