Nigeria’s Simidele will be the first black female Skeleton athlete at the Winter Olympics

Another excellent black woman flying the Nigerian flag against all odds

Here’s something even T. B Joshua didn’t see coming: Nigeria’s participation at the 2018 Winter Olympics next month.

Not too long ago, Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga were celebrated for being the first Nigerians to ever qualify for Bobsleigh at the Olympics. Today, Nigerian athlete, Simidele Adeagbo is being recognized as the first black woman to compete in the Skeleton at the Winter Olympics.

Though sports in Nigeria has a bad reputation especially for being neglected by the government, these women have broken new barriers. The skeleton is a single rider winter sport in which an athlete rides a skeleton sled down a frozen track at high speeds while lying face down. Simidele has managed to successfully work as a Marketing Manager at Nike in Johannesburg for over a decade while pursuing her athletic career, which we can agree exhibits excellent time management and self motivation skills. All skills that will serve her well as she takes on the winding snow tracks.

Formally a track and field champion, Simidele came out of a nine-year retirement to try out for the Nigerian Skeleton Sleigh team. She said in a statement that she wants to open doors and unlock potentials for future athletes, considering that September 2017 was the first time she touched a Skeleton Sled, and she’s already competing on a global level.

Simidele will represent Nigeria along with Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga in the February Winter Olympics set in South Korea. You can watch the promo video her sponsors, Nike made for her below.

Check out Simidele’s Nike ad here:

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/SimiSleighs


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