Funmi Oduwaiye
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Oluwafunmilola Oduwaiye |
| Nationality | British |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Disability class | F64 |
| Event(s) | Shot put, Discus |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | Shot put: 11.03m (Paris, 2023) Discus: 33.23m (Cardiff, 2022) |
Oluwafunmilola Oduwaiye is a British para-athlete who competes in the Shot put and Discus.[1]
Early life
From Cardiff,[2] she was 11 years old when she joined Cardiff Met Archers basketball side. In 2019, she represented Wales at the Under-18 European Basketball Championships in Moldova and was named one of the players of the tournament.[3]
Career
She took up para-athletics in 2022, following multiple surgeries to her legs. An initial surgery to try to correct Genu valgum resulted in a damaged artery, with subsequent surgeries unsuccessful.[4][5] She was left paralysed in her right leg from the knee down.[6]
Competing at the Welsh Athletics Championships, she threw a new personal best in the shot put of 11.03 metres. That day, she also threw 32.26 metres in the discus.[7] In July 2023, she made her World Para Athletics Championships debut in Paris.[8] She finished sixth in the F64 discus and fourth in the F64 shot put.[9][10]
In March 2024, she was announced as a subject of a Channel 4 documentary detailing athletes in the run-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, along with other athletes and para-athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson, Hannah Cockroft and Jake Wightman.[11]
References
- ^ "Oluwafunmilola Oduwaiye". Powerof10. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Jones, Lewis Rhys (3 September 2023). "Young Welsh Para-athlete planning to compete for Team GB at the 2024 Paralympic Games". ITV.com. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "FUNMI ODUWAIYE: THE BASKETBALL STAR FINDING NEW DIRECTION IN PARALYMPIC SHOT PUT AND DISCUS". Sport.Wales. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Oduwaiye eyes Paris after basketball dream fades". BBC Sport. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Steinberg, Rachel (1 December 2023). "Para thrower Funmi Oduwaiye 'always knew I was destined for great things'". The Independent. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "LET'S TALK: FUNMI ODUWAIYE - ABLE BODIED TURNED GREAT BRITISH PARA ATHLETE". Sportin.Wales. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Fun Time . . . Funmi Oduwaiye Sets Sights On World Para Athletics Championships In Paris". Dai Sport. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Bailey, Gareth (6 July 2023). "Oduwaiye seeks gold on World Para-athletics debut". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "ODUWAIYE MARKS WORLD DEBUT WITH SIXTH IN DISCUS". British Athletics. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ James, Gareth (15 July 2023). "Funmi Oduwaiye Targeting Paralympic Glory In Paris After Impressive Senior Championship Bow". Dai Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Channel 4 documentary follows nine GB athletes in run-up to Paris Games". Athletics Weekly. March 28, 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.