Women In Sports

"My mum was a strong woman but she didn’t really understand what the sport is all about. She was there for me whenever she can and whatever she could do for me, she tried her best."

"Education was very important to me as an athlete back then. I took it seriously right from when I was in Nigeria and even when I got to the United States and ran for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the coaches were trying to make athletics the major priority. I made them know that I came to the US for my education while athletics is secondary. I made sure I got my degrees first. I know that with the education I have something to fall back on in the case of injury or retirement from the sport."

"My love for track and field made it fun and interesting for me to go to extra length to achieve the results I got. I would have won three gold medals at the 1978 African Games but I picked up a groin injury that forced me to pull out of the 100m hurdles. At the 1973 African Games, I competed in the high jump, 100m hurdle, and long jump and I clinched the gold medals in the three events. I was thrilled to win the gold medals as it was just fun for me then."

"I didn’t get much encouragement from home at all because they didn’t know too much about sports. My mum wasn’t that educated enough to know what sports is all about."

"The Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1974 in New Zealand in the long jump event was special. I was close to winning the gold in the hurdles too but I tripped towards it and ended up with a bronze medal."

"I’m dreaming about that semi-final. I don’t know if I’ll start the game – that’s up to the coach – but I do know that no matter who plays, they will have to give their all because we want to be in the final."

"I remember that game (final between the Super Falconets and Germany at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup). I was on the bench feeling really nervous and apprehensive, hoping that my team would score. It’s going to be a different story this time. In 2010 they were playing at home, with all their fans behind them, but that won’t be the case here. This final against Germany is also coming at a good time for me, because I’ve got a lot more experience now."

"It’s impossible not to be nervous when you’re on the bench! It’s far worse than starting because you want to get out there and help your teammates. And when they make a mistake you think: ‘Ahhhh. I would have done it this way or that way’. Sometimes, though, you just have to sit there and watch and cheer them on."

"I suppose you could say I’m a goal specialist. I just try to get in the area so I can round moves off by putting the ball in the back of the net. That’s what I’m there for."

"We (Super Falconets) played them (New Zealand) during the qualifiers for the World Cup and I came on in the second half in that game too. By the end of it, I’d scored five goals."

"The only thing that’s in my mind is that I can’t lose two finals, and both of them to Germany. We’ve got to win this Sunday. I don’t care how. And we’re going to do it too."

"I was the youngest player in the team but I had two friends with me and they helped me a lot during the competition. They kept encouraging me the whole time."

"I scored with my very first touch. That’s football, though, isn’t it? Sometimes you play well and things don’t work out. But today I went out there and found the back of the net straightaway."

"Running and jumping came to me naturally. It was while I took to athletics which was known as track and field then. I took part in basketball, badminton, table tennis, and a few other sports when I was growing up but it was athletics that I stuck to."

"It was a very difficult moment for me, I am so confused. I did not prepare my mind for a higher weight category – 72kg before coming here for the competition (Chief E K Clerk wrestling championship). I have been training under 67kg weight class while my body weight is 66kg. It was really disappointing for me here."

"We hope that she (Ifeoma Iheanacho) would impart her knowledge and make them (younger athletes) aspire to greater achievements. Moreover, in wrestling, we want to ensure that athletes, who have performed creditably for this country in a historic fashion, like she has, play vital roles in the development of younger athletes."

"Nigerian athletes work very hard. In terms of training and seriousness, Nigerian athletes are far ahead of their European and American counterparts. What is lacking is the absence of the right facilities and this is where their foreign counterparts have an edge."

"The development of a world class athlete is a long process. We need to put the process or system in place to discover and develop new athletes. The best way to do this is to start from the primary and secondary schools. Any potential athlete needs to be taught the basics in whatever event they are likely to participate in."

"I regretted not going far at the Seoul Olympics due to what happened to me at the Games. It was the second round of our 400m hurdles and an athlete crossed my lane and collided with me. I fell down and could not finish the race. I was rushed to the hospital and ended the Olympics with the Plaster of Paris (POP). I was very sad because I was unable to achieve my aims and target and I will never forget that incident in my life"

"We were very dedicated and proud to wear the national colours. With support from every corner, we were always happy running for the country (Nigeria), as it was a privilege for the few of us selected to represent the country then."

"My dominance in the hurdles was mainly because of my determination to become a world-class hurdler, and I ensured that I put in my best for the country in those days."

"My most memorable moment was when I became the first women’s champion from Texas Southern in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) meet history, winning the 400m hurdles in 55.16secs. That was in 1986. The time broke the stadium record of 55.47secs set by Anna Kastelskaya of the Soviet Union in 1982, and I was happy being a Nigerian."

"To become an Olympian is tough, but it is an achievable task which anyone can attain through hard work and support from their coaches and sports administrators."

"It is still unfortunate that we (Super Falcons) are still struggling to qualify because the Korea we beat is the same Korea beaten by every other team in the group. We haven't shown any obvious sign of improvement which I expect to see in the team. I wish them well to qualify all the same but coaches should give opportunities to younger player who are hungrier in the team."

"The issue of lesbianism is common. I came to realise it is not a physical battle; we need divine intervention in order to control and curb it. I tell you it worked for us. This is a thing of the past. It is never mentioned."

"At the Cosafa Cup tournament, all the coaches were also female. It gives hope to all the aspiring female coaches that nothing is impossible. Coaches like Uche Eucharia and Florence Omagbemi, who won AWCON as players and coaches inspire us."

"The ability to be selfless is what drives your ability to actually see clearly."

"I don’t believe that one body and the other operate the same, particularly in sports. You can’t just give two different people the same workout and expect their bodies to respond the exact same way. They may respond similarly, but there are going to be things that will differentiate between their outcomes. If you can understand the fundamentals of why their bodies respond differently, then you could also be able to contribute to those specific differences, to make that individual athlete better."

"It's not so easy because it's just like when you are in school trying to read and pass your exams without lagging behind. Every year new people come out in athletics so I just have to train hard and see who comes out this year. I ran well in 2008 and I hope to do the same this year (2010). I know it's not going to be easy but I have to come back to it, to tell myself I can do it."

"This sport (bobsled) has the biggest learning curve that I probably have ever experienced in my life. I’ve learned a couple things along the way, but this is totally new. Take a driver who just freshly got their license —16 years old...They know what to do behind the wheel. They have an idea. But then go throw them in Daytona. It might be a little bit different type of driving. That’s how I feel. It’s just straight survival mode the entire time."

"In being selfless, you’re able to see a lot more sometimes than you really want to. Sometimes you just have to be able to tackle that fear, particularly that of the unknown. It’s always easier to just turn away and walk away from it, but if you just open up to it, you’ll really be able to see exactly what your purpose is."

"I don't know how it all happened but I was very disappointed and it's coming from athletes you never expected to do drugs. I feel for them but I know one or two things would have led them to do it. Sometimes it's not the athletes' fault but I'm not encouraging drugs. If they do it and they know it, then they should face the consequences. It's just a pity; a sprinter (Gloria Kemasuode) too is affected and she's good. We are all going to miss her. I really feel bad for them because I don't think they are under pressure."

"My Mother is Still My Driving Force."

"We must treat everybody the same way and athletes must come first too."

"That was my first big championships (1994 World Junior Championships) and the feeling was so strong. I was so proud and happy to represent Nigeria and wearing the green and white colours of the country."

"It wasn’t easy but I didn’t give up because it was fun being an athlete. If you ran very well, you could make the team and travel with the other athletes to other states. This was something I never dreamt of before. So, that gave me enough reason to keep giving my best as an athlete. I was encouraged by many people and coaches at that time too."

"It is a great feeling, having a bronze medal before and now silver, I hope they will soon award the silver medals to us. Even when we came back with the bronze in 2008, we didn’t even get a handshake or a congratulatory message but thank God today that I can now be addressed as Olympics silver medalist. That is the joy of the whole thing but it would have been better if the silver medal had been awarded right on the podium"

"Every single year we (Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria) have taken a group of 68 athletes and coaches to learn and develop the sport. Our goal is to try and compete in 2026. We are developing them along the way, every single year it is getting better and better."

"I used to watch every competition on Skysports to see the times athletes are running and to see if the times aren't above what I can run. They ran well last year but nobody really ran fast among the Nigerian women, unlike in 2008 when I was running. That year Damola ran 11.08 seconds which was really very fast but the fastest last year was 11.16 seconds. It was good but what they were running in Europe, America and Jamaica was faster; they were giving us time to follow because Carmelita Jeter of the US ran 10.6 which was very fast. The Africans didn't do so well but at least we are following up."

"I am strong,I am powerful. I am explosive."

"We’re capable enough to have a seat at the table. And to do great things."

"You can really do it all, You can have it all."

"If you leave athletics, it leaves you. I was getting lazy because this is the build up period from September to December but so far so good, everything has been so good. I have a coach in Germany by the name of Frank Duka that prepares a programme for me. We have a coach in Nigeria that we use whenever we are around too."

"You can sometimes stand in front of a door without knowing what’s on the other side and open it. You won’t know what’s on the other side until you open it."

"Being in an uncomfortable place isn’t bad [and] it isn’t wrong; it’s just different. Sometimes you need to be able to take that chance."

"Don’t be afraid to take that risk. Impossible is nothing."

"This is beyond a dream come true. To be able to bring something back to not only the country of Nigeria – which has so gracefully given me my family, my culture and everything I stand by – but also to the continent of Africa and the world."

"To bring a gift for people to know that resilience is something that you can actually live to achieve, and that the fear of the unknown doesn’t need to be something that limits your ability to thrive in life...Those qualities will be important for everybody to be able to take in."

"Although we're American, we're also Nigerian. We're actually Nigerian first. That's the one culture that we know, that we were raised to respect and understand. To show people that it's okay to be both and it's okay to represent where you're from is a powerful message that, hopefully, we've been able to translate."

"Fear is really just another opportunity to learn."