{{Short description|American Samoan swimmer (born 1999)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox swimmer | name = Tilali Scanlan | image = File:Tilali Scanlan at the 2020 Summer Olympics.webp | caption = Scanlan at the 2020 Summer Olympics | fullname = Tilali Rose Leslie Scanlan | nationality = American Samoan | strokes = Breaststroke | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|11|03}} | birth_place = Vaitogi, American Samoa | module= {{Infobox scientist | embed = yes | education = {{ubl|University of the South Pacific (BS)|Western Washington University (MA)}} | field = {{hlist|Ecology|environmental studies}} }}}}
'''Tilali Rose Leslie Scanlan''' (born November 3, 1999) is an American Samoan swimmer. She competed in the women's 100 meter breaststroke at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Following her Olympic career, Scanlan became a marine and coastal environmental studies researcher.
Scanlan was born in Vaitogi, American Samoa, on November 3, 1999, the seventh of eight children. She was homeschooled for most of her education until college, and participated in various sports growing up, including swimming and judo.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moffitt |first=Nerelle |date=2019-02-09 |title=Meet Tilali Scanlan |url=https://nerelle.com/meet-tilali-scanlan/ |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=Nerelle.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Scanlan was the youngest competitor at the 2011 Pacific Games, where she completed in swimming.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Résultats: 14es Jeux du Pacifique |trans-title=Results: 14th Pacific Games |url=https://fijiaquatics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2011-Pacific-Games.pdf |access-date=2026-02-17 |publisher=Fédération Française de Natation |language=fr |via=Fiji Swimming}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 20, 2017 |title=Local swimmer Tilali Scanlan ready for world championships |url=https://www.talanei.com/2017/07/20/local-swimmer-tilali-scanlan-ready-for-world-championships/ |access-date=2026-02-18 |website=Talanei |language=en-US}}</ref> She also represented American Samoa as a cadet (U18) at the 2014 Oceania Judo Union Championships.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tilali Scanlan |url=https://www.ijf.org/judoka/15901/overview |access-date=2026-02-17 |publisher=International Judo Federation}}</ref> In swimming, Scanlan has competed in various World Aquatics events, including the 2016 World 25 m Swimming Championships, 2017 World Championships, 2018 World 25 m Swimming Championships, and 2019 World Championships. She represented American Samoa at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where she was the flag bearer for American Samoa at the opening ceremony and swam the women's 100 m breaststroke, placing 32nd.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/140555 |title=Tilali Scanlan |work= |access-date=July 25, 2021|publisher=Olympedia}}</ref> Following the Olympics, Scanlan began focusing more on her research pursuits, stating on Instagram that she would "take a momentary pause for a much needed physical and mental break" from swimming.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scanlan |first=Tilali |date=July 31, 2021 |title=10 years ago I was the youngest competitor at the Pacific Games in New Caledonia representing American Samoa in swimming. Now, I am o-fish-ally an OLYMPIAN |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CR_IIiCLtZS/ |access-date=2026-02-18 |via=Instagram}}</ref>
She had moved from American Samoa to Wellington, New Zealand, in 2016 to further her swimming career as there was no Olympic-size swimming pool anywhere in American Samoa. While in Wellington, Scanlan studied marine biology at Victoria University of Wellington.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Low |first=Lin Fhoong |date=July 28, 2017 |title=No pool back home but everything’s going swimmingly for Tilali |url=https://www.todayonline.com/sports/no-pool-back-home-everythings-going-swimmingly-tilali |access-date=2026-02-18 |website=Today |language=en}}</ref> In 2017, she was named Pasifika Sportsperson of the Year and Victoria University Sportsperson of the Year at an award ceremony by the university.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 21, 2017 |title=Congratulations to Tilali Scanlan who was named Sportsperson of the Year and Pasifika Sportsperson of the Year at the Blues Awards ceremony last night. |url=https://www.facebook.com/victoriauniversityofwellington/photos/1750328514980771/ |access-date=2026-02-17 |publisher=Victoria University of Wellington |via=Facebook}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 21, 2017 |title=Tilali Scanlan wins top sports awards at Victoria Uni |url=https://www.talanei.com/2017/09/21/tilali-scanlan-wins-top-sports-awards-at-victoria-uni/ |access-date=2026-02-18 |website=Talanei |language=en-US}}</ref> She completed her bachelor's degree in marine science with a focus on coral reef ecology at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Spikes |first=Allie |date=2025-11-24 |title=Olympic Swimmer and WWU grad student Tilali Scanlan takes on coastal hazards in American Samoa |url=https://news.wwu.edu/olympic-swimmer-and-wwu-grad-student-tilali-scanlan-takes-on-coastal-hazards-in-american-samoa |access-date=2026-02-18 |website=WWU News |publisher=Western Washington University |language=en}}</ref> When borders closed for a time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Scanlan was stranded in Fiji with no way to return to American Samoa or elsewhere in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ewart |first=Richard |date=2020-04-28 |title=Olympic hopeful cut off from home and family |url=https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/marooned-swimmer/12195980 |access-date=2026-02-18 |website=ABC Pacific |language=en-AU}}</ref> She later went to Hawaii, where she took courses online and trained for the Olympics.<ref name=":1" />
After her graduation from university, from 2022 to 2024 Scanlan worked as a National Coral Reef Management Fellow<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022–2024 Fellow Profiles |url=https://coast.noaa.gov/data/coralreef_noaa_gov/gallery/0004-2022-RNK-HCAS-Coral_Fellows_Flyer.pdf |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=National Coral Reef Management Fellowship |publisher=NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program}}</ref> – funded by a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Nova Southeastern University<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Scanlan |first=Tilali |date=May 2022 |title=American Samoa |url=https://nsuworks.nova.edu/coral-reef-fellowship-newsletter/8 |journal=National Coral Reef Management Fellowship Newsletter |publisher=Nova Southeastern University |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=2}}</ref> – working with the American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group on coral restoration in the village of Aua and teaching coral identification across the territory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Team |url=https://www.crag.as/meet-the-team |access-date=2026-02-18 |publisher=American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Noren |first=Lara |last2=Scanlan |first2=Tilali |last3=Perez |first3=Elly |last4=Quichocho |first4=Camille |date=12 October 2023 |title=Coral Management Fellows in the Pacific Coral Reef Jurisdictions |url=https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/NOAAScienceSeminars_2023.php#TopExp385272 |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=NOAA Science Seminar Series |publisher=Center for Satellite Applications and Research}}</ref> Scanlan joined the 2024 cohort of graduate students at Western Washington University's College of the Environment, where she received an M.A. degree in environmental studies with a policy specialization, advised by Rebekah Paci-Green.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Graduate Student Photos/Bios |url=https://cenv.wwu.edu/graduate-student-photosbios |access-date=2026-02-18 |website=College of the Environment |publisher=Western Washington University}}</ref> In 2025, she worked as a research assistant under Paci-Green, studying the coastal residents of Hilo, Hawaii's perception of building deterioration and seismic hazards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Student Involvement |url=https://wp.wwu.edu/rebekah-paci-green/students/ |access-date=2026-02-18 |website=Rebekah Paci-Green |publisher=Western Washington University}}</ref> She has been noted by the International Olympic Committee and the Lewis Pugh Foundation as a notable sports figure serving as a sustainability leader.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Merrell |first=Chloe |date=8 March 2022 |title=International Women's Day 2022 – The female Olympians leading the charge for sustainability |url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/international-womens-day-2022-female-olympians-sustainability |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=Olympics.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tilali Scanlan: Olympic reef protector |url=https://lewispughfoundation.org/voice/tilali-scanlan/ |access-date=2026-02-18 |website= |publisher=Lewis Pugh Foundation |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Sports links}}
{{Authority control}}
{{s-start}} {{s-sports|oly}} {{succession box | before = Tanumafili Jungblut | title = Flag bearer for {{ASA}} | years = Tokyo 2020 (with Tanumafili Jungblut) | after = Nathan Crumpton }} {{s-end}} {{2020 American Samoa Summer Olympic team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scanlan, Tilali}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:American Samoan female swimmers Category:Olympic swimmers for American Samoa Category:Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni Category:University of the South Pacific alumni Category:Nova Southeastern University people Category:Western Washington University alumni Category:American women marine biologists Category:American women ecologists Category:American ecologists Category:Environmental studies scholars