Juhn Tenorio to enroll at Hosei University  

Tenorio

Former CNMI national swimmer Juhn Tenorio will be taking his talents to Japan or more specifically to Hosei University.

“I feel very relieved at the moment for passing the test. Everything I worked for my whole life was on the line and it was a different kind of pressure compared to when I’m competing. I hope  that my move to Hosei University will motivate all swimmers on the island to seek higher goals. If I can do it, everyone can do it,” said the 18-year-old alumnus of Marianas High School.

Based in Tokyo and founded in 1880, Hosei University is one of the more sought-after tertiary institutions in Japan for high school graduates. 

Tenorio said he will be majoring in sports health, specifically sports coaching at Hosei University.

“I will be learning coaching at one of the best colleges in Japan and when I graduate I would like to come back to the island and train young swimmers so we can prove that we are filled with talented and hardworking kids.”

As for being part of Hosei University’s swimming team, Tenorio said he’s aspiring to be a regular member.

“Regular members are the only ones that are allowed to swim at major competitions. In order to become one, you have to be one of the best swimmers at Hosei University at your specific event. My goal is to become one within my first year and continue on from there.”

Tenorio then thanked his mother, Hiroko, and Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center coach Hiroyuki Kimura and his wife, Yuko, for helping him get into Hosei University.

“I would like to thank my mother first. She gave me the opportunity for this college journey. Words cannot express my appreciation for my mother so I will show her by action. Secondly, I would like to thank my coach and his wife. They’ve supported me in everything. They gave me the mental support that I needed while I was studying. I would like to especially thank my coach’s wife, if she wasn’t here I would’ve surely failed the test and my swimming career would’ve ended. We have swimmers preparing for college but I’m not worried because we have her on our side,” he said.

Hiroyuki Kimura said he’s proud of Tenorio getting into Hosei University, which consistently ranks among the Top 8 universities/colleges in Japan.

“Juhn is entering Hosei University via athlete recommendation. We submitted a lot of materials such as competition participation history, personal best time, practice plan for four years at university, and he had interviews and submitted an essay in November. He passed the entrance examination as an athlete splendidly!”

Honestly, however, Kimura admitted he had doubts whether his ward would be accepted by the university.

“There was some anxiety, but it seems that the fact that he was the captain of the team, that he had many Saipan records, and that he had set good times was a big factor,” he said.