Early life and collegiate career
Born in Imo State, Nigeria, Opara-Thompson showed early promise in athletics. She was recruited to the United States on an athletic scholarship to compete for Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah. In 1989, she stunned the field at the NCAA Championships by winning the long jump with a personal best of 6.46 m (21 ft 2½ in). Despite her success, she transferred from BYU due to the cold climate, later attending Citrus College and graduating from California State University, Los Angeles with a degree in Exercise Physiology. [1]
International career
Olympic Games
Opara-Thompson represented Nigeria at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where she won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay alongside Beatrice Utondu, Faith Idehen, and Mary Onyali. Their finish in 42.81 seconds marked Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic medal in a women’s relay event.
Commonwealth Games
At the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, she won:
- Silver in the 100 metres (11.22 s)
- Bronze in the long jump (6.72 m)
- Gold in the 4 × 100 metres relay (42.99 s, Games Record at the time)
African and World Events
Opara-Thompson also medalled at:
- The 1993 African Championships: gold in the long jump and bronze in the 100 m
- The 1995 All-Africa Games: silver in the 100 m and relay
- The 1991 World Championships: part of Nigeria’s 4th-place relay team
She competed at the World University Games, winning multiple medals in sprint and jump events, and was a finalist in several global meets throughout her career.
National Record and Transfer to U.S.
In 1997 and 1998, Opara-Thompson became the fastest woman in the world over 60 metres indoors with a national record time of 7.02 s. On 18 October 1998, she officially changed her sporting nationality to represent the United States internationally. [2]
Post-athletic career
After retiring, Opara-Thompson returned to Nigeria and established the Soho24 Foundation focused on youth development, fitness, and elite sports performance. In 2020, she opened the Soho24 Foundation Sports Arena in Abuja—a multi-sport complex with facilities for track and field, indoor basketball, football, and strength training. [3]
She is currently based between Nigeria and the U.S., working as a certified performance coach and advocate for female athletes over 40, promoting fitness, longevity, and youth development through sport.
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