- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
Encomiums as continue to pour in for the popular sports legend from Ekiti State, Simidele Adeagbo who becomes the first African athlete in the history to compete in bobsleigh at the BMW IBSF World Chams.
Simidele Adeife Omonla Adeagbo, who was born in 29th July 1981, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, she is a Nigerian skeleton racer who competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
She is Nigeria and Africa’s first female skeleton athlete. She was the first black female Olympian in the sport.
According to a release made available to TopNews by the athlete stated tha, “in 2022, Simidele Adeagbo won the woman’s mono bob event in the 2022 EuroCup, held in Germany. In so doing, she became the first athlete from Africa to win an international sled race. Before competing in skeleton, Adeagbo competed in triple jump, last competing in 2008”.
She was born in Toronto, in Ontario, Canada, to Nigerian parents Okemesi-Ekiti in Ekiti State to precise. She moved to Ibadan, Nigeria when she was an infant, and lived there for six years before moving to the United States.
Adeagbo served as a Nike body double for Serena Williams. Adeagbo is a marketing manager for Nike in South Africa since 2012.
On August 18, 2018, Adeagbo spoke alongside other noteworthy speakers, to a sold-out audience during the TEDxLagos spotlight event at the Muson Centre. She shared the stage with legal practitioner Supo Shasore, Award-winning technologist Ade Olufeko, Art curator Tokini Peterside and media personality Banky W. amongst others.
This is the first time ever the continent of Africa will be represented in bobsleigh at a World Champs in the 100-years since @ibsfsliding was founded.
