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| Johny Akinyemi become Nigeria's first Olympic slalom canoeist at London 2012 |
He grew
up as part of the British slalom squad's junior programme, racing alongside
names he can now expect to face as rivals at the Games, but switched to Nigeria
in 2008.
"My
dad's side of the family is Nigerian - my grandad came from Lagos - and when you
grow up as a mixed-race guy in the UK, you go through a time when you almost
'discover' yourself and your roots," explains
Akinyemi.
"Around that time I was really looking
into my Nigerian heritage, which is something I'm proud of, and I learnt a lot
about myself. My identity came through that. "Warrington is not the most
ethnically diverse place in the world and, when you're mixed-race, it's
sometimes difficult to wrestle with your identity. But I'm proud to be Nigerian,
and proud to be British as well".
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| Johny Akinyemi |
In early
2008, Akinyemi made his first trip to the nation he now calls his own,
spending several hours at Lagos passport control trying to get his documents
back. "I was initiated into Nigerian corruption straight away," he
recalls, ruefully.
Once in
the country he discovered that, while slalom canoeing meant nothing to most
Nigerians, his Christian faith certainly did. "Religion is really
important to me. It's the main thing, the foundation of my life really," he
says. "I went to church while I was in Nigeria and that was pretty
intense”.
"They have big, big churches and
there's a lot of shouting - it's really vibrant. I'm not used to that at the
Baptist church I'm at [in Warrington], it's a bit more
peaceful!”
"Everyone in Nigeria welcomed me with
open arms. I was worried whether people would accept me when I switched but my
name helped. When I said, 'I'm Johny Akinyemi,' they said, 'Ah, you're a
Nigerian.' I'm privileged that they allow me to canoe for
them."
Akinyemi believes his faith has done more than
build bridges for his canoeing career. "All of 2011, I was building up for my
Olympic qualifier in South Africa. I knew it would be a straight race, winner
takes all, between me and Benjamin Boukpeti, the Olympic bronze medallist from
2008," he explained.
"I think,
in South Africa, my religion got me through. A lot of people back in Nigeria,
and in Warrington, were praying for me.
No other
African has threatened the podium in Olympic canoe slalom. Part of that is
through a shortage of appropriate facilities, and Akinyemi is determined
to make a difference to the sport in Nigeria once London 2012 is
over.
"Nigerian slalom is very much in its
early development stages and, at the moment, I'm the only athlete competing at
an international level," he says. "The rest of the guys are in the lagoons of
Lagos paddling and, when I go there, that's where I train. I do my weights and
fitness in the national stadium, and paddle on the
lagoons.
"It's interesting to see - you look
around and there are canoes everywhere in Nigerian heritages. On the lagoons you
have villages where people use canoes as their main mode of
transport.
"After the Olympics, I'll go to Calabar [a city in
south-eastern Nigeria] and see if we can find any white water to set up a club
there. If we can just get the kids growing up around canoes into a competitive
environment, and into the right kind of boat, then the future is pretty
bright."
"There's a choice, either you can
ignore who you are or embrace it.”I personally am really proud of my Nigerian
nationality and want to embrace it as much as I
can".
If you
think you can help, e-mail john.akinyemi@btinternet.com for more
information.
In pictures: Going to school by canoe in Nigeria |
|
These children
living in the fishing villages along the Lekki peninsular, near Nigeria's
biggest city, Lagos, have to paddle a canoe across a lagoon every day to get to
school.
|
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| There are some primary schools on the peninsula but no secondary school, so up to 40 children make the one-hour crossing there and back each day. Some take their uniforms off for the crossing to keep them dry. |
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| But the students can only use the canoes after their fathers - fishermen - get back with the early morning catch. Then they have to be back in time for their dads to head out again in the evening. |
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| Sometimes other villagers, carrying supplies and food, catch rides on the school canoes. |
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| The younger children enjoy the ride, while the older ones try to look after them. All of the children have grown up in the fishing villages and are strong swimmers. |
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| Up to eight canoes make the crossing each day. The children try to stay close to each other so they can rescue their schoolmates in case a canoe capsizes but no-one can remember any serious accidents. |
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