TRAILBLAZERS: CELEBRATING WOMEN'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPORTS

The popular saying that the place of a woman is in the kitchen and on her husband's bed will always remain funny! Sadly, this has been the plight of women countless times. Women were not allowed to participate in a lot of activities, sports inclusive; those who dared defy the norms of society were always castigated and had to struggle to push forward unlike their male counterparts. The aim of this article is to celebrate and acknowledge the struggles of female athletes and salute our trailblazers who have dared to do the impossible.

In recent years, women's achievements in the world of sports have reached new heights, breaking barriers, and inspiring thousands across the globe. Despite facing various obstacles, some women have consistently defied societal norms and proven their remarkable abilities in athletics.

Spectacular icons like Serena Williams, who is one of the most successful tennis players of all time, will forever have their names in history books. Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, and four Olympic gold medals. This is a win!

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What about Chioma Ajunwa, who was the first Nigerian woman to win an Olympic gold medal? She won this in the long jump at the 1996 Olympics and was also the first African woman to win a gold medal in an individual event. Since then, she has been breaking records.

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Let's not forget Blessing Oborududu! She is a wrestler who has won multiple medals at the African Games, Commonwealth Games, and the World Wrestling Championships.  In 2021, she became the first Nigerian woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling, taking home the silver medal in the freestyle wrestling event.  She is a trailblazer in the world of wrestling and has helped to put Nigeria on the map in the sport.

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These are historical icons who have made their marks as females participating in sports. They defied the norms of society and today. Indeed, they are legends. They have blazed the trail and we, the aspiring athletes, must follow in their footsteps.

These women did not have their acceptance into the world of sports handed to them on a platter of gold. No. They had to struggle and put in more effort to reach the level they attained. There were a lot of challenges that female athletes faced. Let's bring it down to our own home–Nigeria. 

In addition to the prevailing perception of women based on societal conventions, female athletes received inadequate financial support. Even though they were aware of the potential societal restrictions a female athlete would face, no one was willing to sponsor her. This forced them to rely on their own finances or look for private sponsors. This is a significant career roadblock for female athletes from low-income backgrounds.

Another challenge is the cultural barrier. This is quite similar to the societal barrier. In Nigeria, some cultures still uphold the belief that a woman's place is in the kitchen. Female athletes from such places would not be given opportunities and might face harassment and lose support from their families and community in trying to defy the culture. This could lead to low morale on the female's part.

Despite all these challenges, our women have proven to be resilient and determined to make their marks and gain recognition. In recent developments, the Nigerian government has taken action in launching an "Adopt an Athlete" program which aims at funding and supporting female athletes. In addition to that, female sport organizations are working to increase the visibility of female athletes, provide resources and adequate training facilities for them.

There are a lot of wonderful achievements by female Nigerian athletes especially that deserve special recognition.  For example, Blessing Okagbare is the first Nigerian woman to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships. Also, the Nigerian women's national football team, the Super Falcons, has won the African Women's Cup of Nations nine times.

These are living proofs that as women we must continue to blaze the trail for future generations in all spheres of life.

As I conclude this article, it is important to celebrate our female athletes. They all have gone through a lot to get to the point they are. We as women have a duty to support and celebrate our female athletes in any way we can. Because they truly deserve it. They've worked hard to achieve a lot. These women are stories of much resilience and courage over the years. 

You should watch this movie: Dangal. It tells a lot about what you have just read.

Hope you had a nice time reading this.

Written by: Oke Oluwafeyikemi