COMMUNITY FIRST CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR OLYMPIAN

PRESS RELEASE – Community First Guam Federal Credit Union announced today that it has renewed its sponsorship of Guam professional triathlete, Manami Iijima Martin, as part of the Community First Acts of Community Program, a community outreach and support program to benefit local nonprofit organizations, athletes, and affordable housing initiatives, to name a few. Community First has been a proud sponsor of Iijima Martin, a Community First Member and standout athlete, since October 2021. 

Gerard Cruz, President and CEO of Community First said, “Manami approached us to help support her goal of training and competing full-time to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. We saw her determination and wanted to help her reach her dreams of making it to the Olympics. It was an easy yes for us, and we are so proud of what she has accomplished on the world stage. We can’t wait to cheer her on when she represents Guam at the Olympics this July.”  

Iijima Martin notes that with Community First’s sponsorship support, she was able to focus on training and competing at different international competitions that would earn her qualifying points for the Olympic games.

She said, “I’m so grateful for my community who have supported my journey. Community First’s support helped to take financial worries off my shoulders so I could focus full-time on my training. I couldn’t have done this without them. This sponsorship has allowed me to train and compete full-time to represent Guam around the world.”

When asked about the upcoming Olympic games, Iijima Martin recollects the years of training that went into reaching her goal. 

She added, “This moment reminds me about all the hard work that went into improving as an athlete, training consistently, and traveling to competitions around the world that helped me qualify for the Olympics. I am very proud to represent Guam at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. It’s a dream to show the world what a Guam athlete can accomplish.”

Community First Launches Success Stories Campaign

Iijima Martin will also kick off Community First’s new Success Stories campaign, which launches on June 27. The campaign features the pro athlete training – swimming, biking, and running –  around the island. The campaign highlights the value of community support in reaching one’s goals, something the credit union and Iijima Martin know much about.

Iijima Martin added, “I want to thank Community First and the people of Guam for their support  because without them, I wouldn’t be able to successfully compete in triathlons. I will represent our island with great pride this summer at the Olympic Games. The new campaign sums up what I’ve been doing for the past three years to get here.”

Cruz added, “Community First invites our island community to join us in supporting Manami and fellow Guam athletes as they realize their success stories this summer and beyond.”

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About Community First

Community First Guam Federal Credit Union is a community-chartered, full-service financial institution serving the community of Guam since 1962. The credit union has four Member Service Centers: the new 15,000-square-foot Hagåtña Headquarters and Member Service Center, Tamuning, Dededo, and Guam’s first Student-Run Service Center in Mangilao. The credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. Engage with Community First online at cfirstguam.com or on Facebook and Instagram (@cfirstguam).

Photo caption: Community First Guam Federal Credit Union announces its renewed sponsorship of Guam professional triathlete, Manami Iijima Martin, as part of the Community First Acts of Community Program. Iijima Martin will be representing Guam in the 2024 Summer Olympics, Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, in Paris, France from July 26 to August 11. Iijima Martin is also featured in Community First’s new Success Stories campaign. Pictured from left are Iijima Martin and Gerard Cruz, President and CEO of Community First.

Media Contact: 

Derek Mandell, AVP of Marketing

(671) 472-8210 | [email protected]

About Manami Iijima Martin, Professional Triathlete

Manami Iijima Martin grew up as a competitive swimmer, taking her first swim class when she was three. She was dedicated to the sport, swimming nine times a week since she was eight years old. In 2005, as one of the youngest competitors at 13 years of age, she brought back five bronze medals for Guam from the Palau Pacific Mini Games. The following year at the 2006 Micronesian Games, she swam all 17 pool events in the preliminaries and finals, winning 10 gold and seven silver medals. 

In 2017, Iijima Martin expanded her training to begin competing in triathlons, quickly finding success as a top age group athlete against professional athletes and placing 9^th place in the World Championships. After two international triathlon events, she qualified for her professional license in 2017. She had multiple successes, earning spots on the podium in Australia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Saipan. 

Her most recent success was opening the 2022 Pacific Mini Games for Guam with a gold medal in triathlon and aquathlon and closing with a gold in the half marathon. Iijima Martin has competed full-time from 2022 to 2024 in 12 events to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. She will be representing Guam in the triathlon. Her first Olympic event is scheduled for July 31, 2024.