At the start of the year, Simidele Adeagbo made history at the 2018 Winter Olympics Games when she debuted as the African female to compete in the skeleton event in the games. it was a moment filled with joy and pride and it was inconsequential, in the grand scheme of things, that she did not win the event.
Now, she has turned her eyes to another challenge: creating a new wave of Nigerian skeleton athletes who would one day stand on the podium at international meets. She is doing this in conjunction with Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI), a non-profit organisation.
They are doing this through the ‘SimiSleighs Leadership and Sports Masterclass’ for secondary school girls in Lagos state. 100 schoolgirls took part in a skeleton clinic led by Adeaagbo who took them on demonstrations, drills and activities centred around teamwork and the skills needed to be a champion.
She hopes to encourage sports participation among girls and also to show the girlsthey can dream big and chase their dreams.
Speaking about what the clinic means to her, she said:
“The students at State Civil Service Senior Model School are the future leaders of Nigeria and I’m honoured to have the opportunity to share this unique experience with them.
Sport is a powerful tool to create change and I hope that I’ve empowered the girls and cultivated future leaders in the classroom and community.”