Nigerian athlete Precious Okoronkwo has opened up on the accident that kept her away from athletics for four years, revealing that the setback plunged her into depression at a time she was preparing for major competitions.
Okoronkwo said the accident was particularly painful because athletics had been a major part of her life since childhood.
She said: “I felt like something else.
“I started track and field in 2008 as a child.
“That was the first time that something will take me away.
“Not even school exams can take me away from the sport.”
The long jumper and sprinter recalled how committed she was to athletics, even at the expense of her education.
She said: “I remember in 2016 we were competing in the Teslim Balogun Stadium, I was writing Yoruba exam that very day, I left that paper just because I want to compete.
“That is how I love this sport.”
Okoronkwo said she broke down after the accident, not because of the pain but because she knew what it would cost her.
She said: “I was not crying about the pains but I was crying about the shape.
“That period was the Commonwealth Olympics.
“I was in top shape.
“I went into depression.”
According to her, the accident was not sports-related and came at a time when she was in peak condition for the Commonwealth trials.
She said the unexpected nature of the incident and the competitions she missed while sidelined made the experience even more difficult.
Okoronkwo also alleged that she received little support from the authorities after the accident.
She said the Lagos State, for which she competed then, informed her there was no money available for surgery.
“When I had my accident the state told me that there was no money for surgery,” she said.
The athlete credited her recovery to the intervention of her coach and former champion, Yusuf Ali.
“It was my coach, Mr. Yusuf, that ran helter-skelter to make sure I was okay.”
After years of rehabilitation and recovery, Okoronkwo said she is finally in a better place mentally and physically.
She said: “I feel so good.
“I feel so much peace within me.”
Okoronkwo, who specialises in the long jump and 100 metres, has represented Nigeria internationally, won a national championship title, and finished among the top eight at the African Athletics Championships.
She said this on Monday when she featured on: “Sports Update,” a programme on The Eagle Online Nigeria YouTube channel.
