‘I wouldn’t be who I am without you guiding me every step of the way,’ Immanuela Aliu pays tribute to her mom, Endurance Ojokolo at 49

Former European U20 4x100m champion, Immanuela Aliu has paid tribute to her mother, former Nigeria track and field international, Endurance Ojokolo who turns 49 on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

Immanuela says in a Facebook post that her mother has been behind what she has achieved both on the track and as a woman.

‘Happy Birthday to the most extraordinary woman in my life—my mum Endurance Ojokolo Akpeki Oly.

‘There truly aren’t enough words to express how much you mean to me. You’ve been my rock, my greatest inspiration, and the one who has always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. Your strength, your selflessness, and the way you love so deeply—it’s nothing short of superhuman.’

‘Mum, you’ve sacrificed so much, and yet you always find a way to make everything feel effortless. You’ve taught me what it means to be resilient, to love unconditionally, and to never give up. I wouldn’t be who I am without you guiding me every step of the way.

‘I am endlessly grateful for your love, and I pray that this year brings you all the joy and blessings you so richly deserve. I love you more than words can ever say,’ wrote Immanuela who was in April 2000.

Ojokolo won the Nigeria 100m title seven times after she forcefully raced to reckoning in 1997, the year the inimitable Mary Onyali took off the track for procreation.

Nicknamed the Bulldozer for the way she bulldozed her way to the stage Nigerian athletics stage at the senior level in 1997, Ojokolo would go on to win the 100m title three times in a row before Onyali punctured it in 2000.

She reclaimed the title in 2001, lost it again to her bossom friend, Mercy Nku in 2002 before storming back like the bulldozer she was on the track to win in 2002 and 2004.

An Olympic finalist (4x100m) and three time World Athletics Championships finalist (4x100m), Ojokolo made history as the first Nigerian woman to win an African Championships medal as an athlete and a coach.