Tata Garcia-Long feels like Superwoman after each race—and after learning what she does, it’s an accurate portrait of this active mom 

A mother of four, Tata Garcia-Long, 37, was born into a very active family. With three older brothers who also played sports and parents who are both physically active (even until now), it’s just natural for her to become an athlete.

She actually started off as a ballet dancer and eventually transitioned to football. In college, she was part of the Ateneo Women’s Football team where she played for five years. Soon after, she joined their coaching staff for a few more years. Armed with her master’s degree in education, she taught physical education and coached football both locally and abroad.

In this special Mother’s Day feature, we talk to Garcia-Long about getting into triathlon, managing her ssion with motherhood, and her advice to mothers hesitating to dive into sports.

Tell us a little bit about your family.

My dad is also an athlete but has focused on golf for most of his life. He is now 78 and continues to play golf multiple times a week till this day. My mom on the other hand loves ballroom dancing. Overall, I come from a family that loves to stay active. It has been really cool to see my kids and their cousins love sports.

One thing that is very interesting to me is how dancing ballet for 10 years as a little girl to my early teens set me up for success in what was next in my life

One thing that is very interesting to me is how dancing ballet for 10 years as a little girl to my early teens set me up for success in what was next in my life. I quit ballet and played football when I was in seventh grade. I haven’t stopped since then. I eventually took the role of assistant coach for Ateneo for three years after playing for five years. That was eight years of very early morning training (5 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and sometimes twice a day during football season.

Physical activity wasn’t just a portion of my day, it also became what I taught. I ended up taking education for my master’s and took on a PE teaching position alongside coaching the Ateneo women’s team. Since then, I’ve coached football for around 15 years already—from college all the way down to four-year-olds.

In 2013, I married Kirk Long (who is also an athlete and was part of the Ateneo men’s basketball team). We got pregnant soon after and lived abroad after our daughter turned one. We moved to Guam and eventually Taiwan. While abroad, I was a PE teacher and high school varsity coach. During that time, I had two more kids.

In Guam, I managed to play club football with US military women and wives; it was an eye-opener in terms of physical build and level of play. I still played football while I was pregnant (until five to six months) but of course I was very careful.

How did you get started with multisport?

In Taiwan, my triathlon urge started. Why? Because I wasn’t able to play club or even pick-up football. I missed training for something. As a mom I asked myself, ‘If I can’t find scrimmages at night after kids are in bed, what can I do?” Luckily, we live on campus: we had a pool, a track, and a gym. I was so blessed to have access to these facilities but I’m the type of person who likes having a goal to motivate me. In 2019, a few months after giving birth to our fourth child, my husband and I signed up for a Spartan Stadion race.

I’m the type of person who likes having a goal to motivate me

I prepared for that well and it felt too short so we signed up for a Spartan Super race next. That was a tough one because after some obstacles, we had to do a 10K+ trail run and end it with a few more obstacles. I’m not excited to do that one again. I wanted to try something different so I searched for a duathlon race. After that, an Olympic triathlon until finally Ironman 70.3 in Cebu.

What’s the most memorable race you’ve done so far?

The most memorable was the 70.3 in Cebu because I really enjoyed it and had a great deal of discipline. I knew that coming into this race, I wanted to continue and pursue triathlons. I just wanted to find out which distance I would enjoy more; I didn’t want to push myself too hard that I’d come out of it hating it. I stayed at a comfortable pace for the first two legs and even for most of the run. The toughest would probably be the Spartan Super. I wasn’t as prepared that time and really pushed beyond what I should’ve done.

How do you balance everything—training, working, and taking care of your family (with no full-time yaya)?

In Taiwan, I was spoiled with a track oval 100 steps away from our apartment, a pool right next to it, and a super safe area to bike (even by myself). I was able to wake up as early as 4:45 a.m. and be back by 7 a.m. so I could do my girls’ hair. This is when Kirk really stepped up and made breakfast for the kids at around 6:30 a.m. Sometimes, our eldest would do it too.

When we moved to Manila this past year, things got a little bit more challenging when it came to training but I had such a supportive family and knew that I had to be more creative. I also asked a ton of questions and sought help from friends who were good at each discipline.

When we moved to Manila this past year, things got a little bit more challenging when it came to training but I had such a supportive family and knew that I had to be more creative

Luckily, the school my kids go to has a 25m pool that’s open for us to use. The amazing part is it only takes me five minutes to get there. I’m able to swim at 5:30 a.m. and make it back home by 6:30 a.m. as the kids have to leave before 7 a.m.

As for the bike, our rides had to be on weekends most of the time so my kids can be at my mom’s house. When my mother-in-law visited, she would watch over them so Kirk and I can go on long rides together. Towards the last two months of training, I was able to find a safe route that I felt comfortable doing on my own on weekdays. I’d do this around 9:00 a.m. to 12 nn since we have a part-time helper that arrives at 8 a.m. Before all that, I had to watch my youngest and make sure she was okay before I trained.

I was able to run in our and my mom’s village regularly—both are quite hilly and I think that prepared me well for my 70.3 even if that was completely flat. There were times when I had to be creative and run on the soccer field at school for speed training. All these had to happen between 9 a.m. to 12 nn. When my husband gets home at around 4 p.m. I would squeeze in a run an hour later.

Basically, I tried to train at times that didn’t bother anyone’s schedule. I felt like as we are still transitioning and not yet fully settled, it would be unfair for me to have training hours during times when the kids needed their mom.

Why do you do this given that it’s already so hard being a mom?

I’ve always believed that having a routine, in my case a physically active one, helps me set the tone of my day, week, and even year. I love the process that comes with preparing for a triathlon. I love the fact that I am doing three different disciplines and not having to just run or bike every day.

I believe that triathlon is the closest I can get to what my body was used to in the past. The best part is, I am in control of ‘what and when.’ I also enjoy this sport because it’s something my husband and I can do together

It also allows my body to recuperate from using just my legs for instance. Back in college, football training was always different every day: we focused on different skills and, other times, purely fitness. I believe that triathlon is the closest I can get to what my body was used to in the past. The best part is, I am in control of ‘what and when.’ I also enjoy this sport because it’s something my husband and I can do together.

As an aside, if I could join a football team that had a coach, does drills, and has a season to look forward to, I would love doing that. But for my age and the stage of life I’m in, I can’t imagine pulling that off.

Any advice to any moms who are second-guessing going into sports or any hobby?

You know what’s funny? Because I was able to curate my training around my kids’ schedule, I ended that race feeling that any mom could do it! Whenever a friend or co-parent asks me ‘How’d it go?’ I would say ‘You know what? you can do it!

They must have thought, ‘She’s crazy!’ Fine, maybe not just anyone can do a triathlon but I think anyone can be physically fit even if they are moms or even working moms. You just need to find 30 minutes of your day when you can exercise.

I’ve found that before everyone wakes up is the most ideal. Regardless of the time of day, I think it’s most effective when you sign up for something official with your husband, friends, or even alone. It can be a 5K fun run, a half marathon, or whatnot. Once you set your goal, everything else follows. In my case, I also asked a ton of questions, I asked friends who are triathletes, cyclists, and swimmers.

“For us to take on something new, challenging, and physical on top of our day-to-day responsibilities is something we can be proud of”

If it’s another hobby, there are so many communities out there to choose from like padel, pickleball, pick-up soccer, tennis, etc. Don’t be afraid to try it. The high and rush you get after playing is the best feeling ever. As a mom, it’s a wonderful break from our day-to-day lives. I highly encourage it, especially if it’s also something you can do with your husband.

The support I got in each race we did together was quite special. I saw how proud my husband was of me for doing something difficult, on top of the challenges of being a mother. Deep down I felt like Superwoman for accomplishing each race or even each game of pick-up football. Why? because what we do as moms is no joke. For us to take on something new, challenging, and physical on top of our day-to-day responsibilities is something we can be proud of. Maski daily walks and stretching, taking time for that is already a great step.