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“I Exceeded My Own Expectations”: Olympian Anyika Onuora Reflects on A Career in Sport

Anyika Onuora is a former track and field athlete hailing from Liverpool. As a star athlete from the North West, the sprinter’s career details a long road to her current status and a strong personal determination to defy the odds.

“The best sprinters had always come from the Midlands or London,” she says in reflecting on access into sport. “And they were always the counties with the biggest teams. So the fact that little old me from Liverpool was able to win and represent Merseyside was huge.”

After 18 years competing for Great Britain, the athlete retired in 2019 with multiple medals under her belt, including an Olympic Bronze medal won in Rio 2016. At 36 and with a desire to make things better for those up-and-coming, she reflects on a changing field for those now in the industry, and works to educate the public on the realities of life in sport.