How I started athletics was like magic or something. I started when I was in primary school, back at home, where I used to do training in the school

I used to play football, gymnastics. After that we got a teacher [who] introduced us to running. I started running and knowing that athletics might [get] me somewhere

I hold no grudge not been among the 60 Nigeria Sports Icon but it is painful that after spending 8 hours everyday while training, getting injured and recovering, becoming an All African Games Champion, African Champion, World Champion and Olympic Silver medallist, my country still did not deem it fit to recognize me among their sports Icon. For record purpose, I am not only I Champion in my sport, I have also produced African Games Champions in weightlifting through my Ruth Ogbeifo-Balofin Community Project (ROBCOP) in Offa, Kwara state. If my country does not honour me, I know God in heaven will honour me. Outside Nigeria, I get treated like a queen whenever they know I won a medal at the Olympics but in Nigeria, I will have to lobby to get things done.

My talent was first discovered at a school athletics day a year after I arrived Norway. We had different events such as sprint, long jump and high jump. I was the fastest girl, and the guys were afraid to run against me, so, I ended up running by myself, but with the best times of all children. The teachers encouraged me after that to take up athletics.

We have prospects for the Rio Games. We are in camp right now and we are working hard. The athletes want to go to Rio and win medals and do the nation (Nigeria) proud. We are all working together to ensure that we go to Rio to win medals and do the nation proud. The athletes want to win because they know that there is something good awaiting them and they stand the chance of making good contacts thereafter. These are the future stars of Nigeria. This kind championship was used to discover the likes of Endurance Ojokolo, Blessing Okagbare, Obinna Metuh and many other stars. It is a step in the right direction and should be sustained.

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.

They (Government of Nigeria) must catch the athletes when they are young. We started very young. They must encourage the athletes with good incentives to be able to compete.

I grew up in Nigeria and played from U-12 all the way to professional level and I think I’m in a position to encourage those in the grassroots that they can play football and also be educated at the same time which will help them after the game.

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.

I want to be the greatest sprinter in Africa.

Sports has a short life span but education will be there for you. Take the advantage that sports provides. If you have education, you can continue with sports at even a higher level. If you can’t, there will be option for you as an educated athlete. I wish that more Nigerians could take to sports.

I ran a 3000m race representing my Woreda [district] and finished second at the All-Tigray Games...It was this performance that convinced me that I may have a future in athletics.

I always said that sport was my favorite subject until the day a girl introduced me to athletics. She told me there were competitions, that you had to go faster than the others, and that at the end you could get gifts (laughs). After my first race, I never gave up.

Between 500 and 600 young people will be running. It will be beautiful. Imad loved sports; he played football, a little rugby when he was younger, swimming, and a little athletics at the beginning. He loved sports and culture; he always had a sports bag or a book in his hand. This tribute means a lot to this great boy, this great man, whom I will never forget.