Marta Pen Freitas Operating By way of Triumph, Loss, and the Struggle of Her Life
Marta Pen Freitas has at all times been pushed by ambition. A middle-distance runner from Portugal, she has spent years chasing the head of her sport, turning setbacks into stepping stones. From profitable an NCAA nationwide title to representing her nation on the Olympics, her profession has seen her present plenty of perseverance.
Her journey to the worldwide stage started with a daring resolution. Almost completed with a physiotherapy diploma in Portugal, she selected to maneuver to the US to compete within the NCAA. Mississippi State grew to become her second residence, a spot the place she would redefine her limits. The transition wasn’t straightforward, however Freitas was clear about her targets. She needed to turn out to be a nationwide champion and an Olympian, and he or she achieved each inside two years.
Freitas runs the 1500 meters—a grueling middle-distance occasion requiring each pace and endurance. In 2016, she gained the NCAA championship in dramatic vogue, erasing the frustration of a fall within the 2015 closing. That victory cemented her status as top-of-the-line collegiate runners within the nation. Later that summer season, she represented Portugal within the Rio Olympics, attaining a dream that had as soon as appeared distant. Mississippi State had given her greater than a platform for athletic success; it had formed her right into a resilient competitor and a pacesetter.
Past the observe, she carried private grief that fueled her aggressive fireplace. Her father, a central determine in her operating profession, handed away from a coronary heart assault whereas she was racing in Lisbon. She had anticipated to listen to his voice calling out her break up instances, however as an alternative, she crossed the end line to an unthinkable tragedy. In his reminiscence, she had his signature tattooed on her wrist, kissing it after each race. It grew to become an emblem of endurance, a quiet however highly effective ritual that stored him together with her on each stride.
As her NCAA eligibility ended, she transitioned into skilled operating, competing for Portugal whereas persevering with her training at Mississippi State. She skilled with Brooks Beasts, an elite observe membership in Seattle, the place she ready for her subsequent Olympic look. The journey wasn’t with out its obstacles—accidents, grueling coaching camps, and the fixed pursuit of the right race. However she remained steadfast, proving her means to compete on the highest stage.
Then, in 2024, her world shifted. Whereas at an altitude coaching camp in New Mexico, she found a lump in her chest. The preliminary shock changed into quiet resolve as she navigated a battery of assessments, finally receiving a prognosis of stage I, triple-positive breast most cancers. It was extremely treatable, but it surely meant surgical procedure, radiation, and drugs for the foreseeable future. Within the face of uncertainty, she made a daring resolution—she would proceed coaching for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Freitas approached most cancers remedy the best way she had approached competitors: with self-discipline, resilience, and an unyielding perception in her personal energy. She underwent a lumpectomy in Portugal earlier than returning to Seattle for radiation. All through all of it, she by no means overlooked her aim. Whereas many may need paused their careers, she refused to let most cancers outline her season. If something, it strengthened her resolve. She acknowledged the chance that she won’t make it to Paris, however in her thoughts, the result was by no means totally in her management. Athletes chase goals realizing they may fall quick. The sweetness is within the pursuit, in setting formidable targets and committing to the journey, whatever the end result.
As 2025 unfolds, Freitas continues to push ahead with the identical willpower that has outlined her profession. Together with her most cancers remedy behind her, she has shifted her full focus again to competitors, concentrating on a spot on Portugal’s group for the World Championships in Tokyo later this 12 months. Her early-season performances present promising indicators, clocking 4:10.11 within the 1500m and a pair of:02.71 within the 800m indoors—indicating she is regaining her racing sharpness.
Her schedule within the coming months can be essential in figuring out her possibilities of making the Portuguese group. She plans to compete in key European meets, constructing towards the nationwide trials the place she hopes to safe her spot for Tokyo. Whether or not or not she makes it to the World Championships, her journey this season has already been a victory.
