Blessing Okagbare is a Nigerian track and field athlete who specializes in long jumping and short sprints. She is an Olympic and World Championships medalist in the long jump, and a world medalist in the 200 metres. She also holds the Women’s 100 metres Commonwealth Games record for the fastest time at 10.85 seconds.
She is the current African record holder in the 200 m with her run of 22.04 seconds in 2018. She was the African 100 m and long jump champion in 2010. She has also won medals at the All-Africa Games, IAAF Continental Cup and World Relays.
Blessing Okagbare Medal records
| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver medal – second place | 2008 Beijing | Long jump |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver medal – second place | 2013 Moscow | Long jump |
| Bronze medal – third place | 2013 Moscow | 200 m |
| Commonwealth Games | ||
| Gold medal– first place | 2014 Glasgow | 100 m |
| Gold medal – first place | 2014 Glasgow | 200 m |
| Silver medal – second place | 2014 Glasgow | 4×100 m relay |
| Bronze medal – third place | 2018 Gold Coast | 4×100 m relay |
| All-Africa Games | ||
| Gold medal– first place | 2011 Maputo | Long jump |
| Gold medal – first place | 2011 Maputo | 4×100 m relay |
| Gold medal – first place | 2015 Brazzaville | 4×100 m relay |
| Silver medal – second place | 2007 Algiers | Long jump |
| Silver medal – second place | 2011 Maputo | 100 m |
| African Championships | ||
| Gold medal – first place | 2010 Nairobi | 100 m |
| Gold medal – first place | 2010 Nairobi | Long jump |
| Gold medal – first place | 2010 Nairobi | 4×100 m relay |
| Gold medal – first place | 2014 Marrakesh | 100 m |
| Gold medal – first place | 2014 Marrakesh | 4×100 m relay |
| Gold medal – first place | 2018 Asaba | 4×100 m relay |
| Silver medal – second place | 2012 Benin | 100 m |
| IAAF World Relays | ||
| Gold medal – first place | 2015 Nassau | 4×200 m relay |
| Continental Cup | ||
| Bronze medal – third place | 2010 Split | 100 m |
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar had a candid interview with Blessing Okagbare, an Olympic and World Championships medalist in the long jump where she talks about her workout, diet, and success story.
Namita Nayyar:
You are an Olympic African record holder in the 200 m with your run of 22.04 seconds in 2018.Walk us through your spectacular journey and tell us how it all began?
Blessing Okagbare:
It all started when I was in high school where I was just running/jumping at inter-house sports in high school for fun and I was really good at it. Even as a little girl I loved running and jumping with the boys in my street and also played soccer with them. One faithful afternoon, I went to my older sister high school as she had told her teacher she has a little sister who can run. So, they put me in a race with other girl older than me and i won against all of them. He then told me I am good and that if I train and take it seriously, I can represent my country someday.
Little me said no as I was only running for fun not for anything he was saying as I do not even know about all what that is. One week later after giving it a thought, I went back to him, told him I was ready and he took me the stadium in my home town and registered me in a sport club called dynamic athletics club.
From then on I started training but was not really taking it seriously as I just felt like there was nothing so important in it. Months after that, my coach sent me home and said I am not serious about what they do at the track and specifically told me not to come back until I am ready to be an athlete. Well, I went home, thought about it for days and I went back. From there on, my life took different part as I went from high school into-house sport to local competition, state competition, and national competition, got a scholarship to study/run track in the United States of America where my true success story began and now the world knows.
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
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