She hadn’t stepped foot inside a throwing circle since school sports days. But now Funmi Oduwaiye is preparing to compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, just two years after taking up the sport.
When a routine operation went wrong, shattering her dreams of becoming a pro basketball player, she admits she fell apart. But after being inspired by one of the most legendary figures in Welsh para sport, the 21-year-old has found new direction in shot put and discus.
She played lots of sports as a child
After trying out a huge number of sports as a child - figure skating, tennis, swimming, rugby, football and netball, Funmi finally stepped onto the basketball court:
“I had an inkling all along that I’d love basketball and I think that’s why I left it to last! I wanted to be sure that it was the sport for me. My Dad and my eldest brother both played but it was Mum that encouraged me to try anything and everything.”
She was 11 when she joined Cardiff Met Archers - a club just five minutes around the corner from her house:
“The atmosphere was so welcoming, I loved it there.”
Playing for fun, Funmi realised from the age of about 14 years old that basketball was something she could pursue professionally:
“After school, I’d go straight to the arena. And I always made sure I worked hard in school because if I wanted a college scholarship in America, I’d need good grades.
“Every summer, I’d train at the courts in Roath Park with anyone who’d turn up. I’d almost always play against men. At first, they’d underestimate me, but they soon realised I was stronger than I looked.”
American colleges come calling
The breakthrough though came in 2019 when Funmi was 16 and she represented Wales at the Under 18 European Championships in Moldova. She was recognised as one of the All-Star Five – in other words, the five best players of the entire tournament.
Teams in Italy and Serbia soon cottoned on to the emerging talent from Cardiff and were eager for her to sign with them. But Funmi’s dreams lay Stateside. She started contacting colleges in America and she soon discovered plenty of coaches keen to welcome her on a scholarship.
