Tobi Amusan: 'My papa burn my training gear' - Nigerian hurdler on road to 100m hurdles world record
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
- Author, Lynne Wachira
- Role, BBC Sport Africa in Eugene, Oregon
- Read am in 3 mins
Tobi Amusan don become world record holder and world champion for 100m hurdles, but she still remember how her papa burn her running gear.
Number four position finisher for both 2019 World Athletics Championships and di delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, di Nigerian zeal don finally see her name in bold letters inside di track and field record books.
Di 25-year-old run a time of 12.12 seconds! - deleting almost one tenth of second from di previous world record - for di semi-finals of di World Championships for Oregon before going to win gold for di final.
However, e bin be like say di odds bin dey against her running career from di beginning.
"Both my parents na teachers, dem be strict disciplinarians," Amusan tell BBC Sport Africa.
"When you grow up for dat kain family, they feel say you suppose focus on school. And being a girl, dem tink say you go go astray, lose focus and all of dat.
"But becos my mama see wetin I no bin see mysef, she bin feel say she fit give me a chance. And she continue to tell me make I no disappoint her.
"My mama go tell my papa say I dey go church while I go sneak go practice or tell am say I dey go school for debate while I go for out-of-state competition. Na dia I begin.
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"My dad bin really mad one time wen im find out [I dey running]. Im burn all my training gear and tell my mama say dat na di last time wey im wan s see me for stadium."
Fast forward several years, and tears of joy flow freely as Amusan stand on top step of di podium for Hayward Field on a historic day for Nigeria, wey see dem play di kontri national anthem for di World Athletics Championships for di first time ever.
"E neva sink yet, maybe di magnitude of wetin just happun go hit me later," she tok.
"I go out dia and put 100% in every championship and e no just ever dey enough. Every time na number four position finish.
"Den dis time my 100% no only be gold medal but na world record. Trusting myself just make everytin easier. I dey thankful to di man above for keeping me healthy. When God say na your time, na your time."
A champion hurdler through football and relay running
Her papa fit don doubt her, but Amusan bin always get plenty in her own ability.
Back in November 2016 she tweet: "Unknown now but soon I go dey unforgettable, I go persist until I succeed."
Dat message dey permanently pinned on top of her social media profile and provide summary of her rise to glory for Eugene.
Yet her journey into athletics start as sometin like accident for Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ogun state, Nigeria.
"I bin dey for football team, but I bin go just dey all over di pitch," Amusan say.
"My coach suggest make I go try out di track team and I became di fastest girl for di team, and dat na how I join di school relay team."
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She from dia make di national squad for di 2013 Africa Youth Games for Nigeria, but she bin miss her place for di relay team but later win bronze for long jump instead.
Competing over hurdles na anoda unexpected switch for Amusan journey to stardom, and na dia she truly break through on di senior stage.
"Di officials bin always dey pick who dem want for di relay team.
Sometimes dem go say I no get experience so dem go pick who ever be dia favourite," she explain.
"E bin be a lot of pressure on a young athlete. I bin tink of quitting. I really bin wan travel wit di senior national team and some coaches tell me to try di hurdles."
Her tori continue to dey totori pipo from acround di world.
