Patricia Taea: Mormon Athlete

Patricia Taea became an Olympic sprinter when she competed in the 100-meter event at the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London. She ranked fourteenth in the preliminaries with a time of 12.47 seconds; a personal best.

Tara was born on May 25, 1993, in the Cook Islands. She holds the Cook Islands national record in the women’s 100-meter sprint. She won a silver medal in the 200-meters at the 2013 Pacific Mini Games. She won a bronze medal in the 100-meters at the 2014 Oceania Championships, a silver medal in the 100-meters at the 2013 Oceania Championships, and a bronze in the javelin throw at the 2011 Oceania Championships. She has also competed in long jump.

She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and lives in the Church’s Avarua Cook Island District.