Funmi Oduwaiye

Last updated
Funmi Oduwaiye
Personal information
Birth nameOluwafunmilola Oduwaiye
NationalityBritish
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]

Contents

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] She finished 5th in the shot put and 8th in the discus throw [12] .

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References

  1. "Oluwafunmilola Oduwaiye". Powerof10. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  2. 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.
  3. "FUNMI ODUWAIYE: THE BASKETBALL STAR FINDING NEW DIRECTION IN PARALYMPIC SHOT PUT AND DISCUS". Sport.Wales. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  4. "Oduwaiye eyes Paris after basketball dream fades". BBC Sport. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  5. Steinberg, Rachel (1 December 2023). "Para thrower Funmi Oduwaiye 'always knew I was destined for great things'". The Independent. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  6. "LET'S TALK: FUNMI ODUWAIYE - ABLE BODIED TURNED GREAT BRITISH PARA ATHLETE". Sportin.Wales. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  7. "Fun Time . . . Funmi Oduwaiye Sets Sights On World Para Athletics Championships In Paris". Dai Sport. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  8. Bailey, Gareth (6 July 2023). "Oduwaiye seeks gold on World Para-athletics debut". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  9. "ODUWAIYE MARKS WORLD DEBUT WITH SIXTH IN DISCUS". British Athletics. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  10. James, Gareth (15 July 2023). "Funmi Oduwaiye Targeting Paralympic Glory In Paris After Impressive Senior Championship Bow". Dai Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  11. "Channel 4 documentary follows nine GB athletes in run-up to Paris Games". Athletics Weekly. March 28, 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  12. "Funmi Oduwaiye is already counting down the days to LA 2028 after Paralympic debut". Braintree and Witham Times. 2024-09-05. Retrieved 2024-10-03.