Sport
Olympic hopes of Nigerian canoeist Johny Akinyemi
Johny Akinyemi: “If I can inspire young Nigerians to rise through the ranks and beat me then that would be a really great thing”
Born and raised in England, Johny Akinyemi gave up his place at the top of the British Canoe rankings to compete for Nigeria, his father’s home country.
Currently pan-African champion, he stands in good stead to represent Nigeria at the upcoming World Championships and, if he gets through the qualifying heats, the London Olympics in 2012.
It was at the age of 11, sitting in his parents’ front room in north east England that Akinyemi figured out what he wanted to do with his life.
He was watching the final Olympic run of British canoeist Paul Ratcliffe at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
That run, which earned Britain a silver medal, ignited an ambition to be an Olympian canoeist.
After a short time on the junior circuit Akinyemi secured a place on the British national team aged 13.
By 2006 he was junior British national champion.
But by this point, as many teenagers do, Akinyemi had begun to struggle with issues of identity.
“I don’t like to make too much of my ethnicity but I think it can be hard growing up in British society as a bi-racial person,” he told reporters.
Akinyemi asked his father to take him to meet other Nigerians in the local area, particularly those of the Yoruba ethnic group to which he belongs.
“The first time I went, a bi-racial lady in our local Yoruba club said to me: ‘When you first fly to Africa and touch down there, you’ll know it’s in your blood, you’ll know you’ve come home.'”
Pride
Akinyemi first visited Nigeria in 2007, aged 18. Within the year he had signed up for the Nigerian team.
“There’s a choice, either you can ignore who you are or embrace it.
“I personally am really proud of my Nigerian nationality and want to embrace it as much as I can.”
Once nationalized, Akinyemi set about exploring the lakes and river systems around Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
