Ofili: I listened to Christian music, Bishop Oyedepo’s sermons before a race

Nigerian lands in Arkansas for 2023 SEC Indoor Championships

Favour Ofili says listening to Christian music and sermons by David Oyedepo, Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide in Nigeria serve as her motivation before a race.

The Nigerian arrived Fayeteviile, Arkansas on Wednesday afternoon with her fellow Lousiana State University colleagues for this weekend’s SEC Indoor Championships holding at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the University of Arkansas campus.

‘I made a playlist of Christian songs that I listen to ..I also listen to my bishop back home, Bishop Oyedepo, speaking in tongues,’ said the 20 year old Nigeria 200m record holder, indoors and out, when asked what she does before a race by fellow 200m runner, Leah Philips.

Ofili will be the cynosure of all eyes at the Championships as she will be gunning to complete a 60m/200m double at the championships for the first time.

The Nigerian will also be attempting to win her second SEC Championships title in three years. The Commonwealth Games silver medal winner won the 200m in her first attempt two years ago when she ran a then Nigerian record of 22.75 incidentally at the Randal Tyson Indoor Center, Fayetteville, the same venue where she will hoping to return as winners this weekend.

Since that Nigerian record run, Ofili lowered the time thrice in 2022. She first broke the record at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in New Mexico with a 22.71 run before racing to a 22.61 finish at the SEC Indoor Championships at College Station, Texas in her semifinal heat.

In the final, the pretty Nigerian ran 22.46 to place second in the final of the 200m event.

Ofili has been phenomenal this indoor season, running a new personal best of 22.36. Her new personal-best shaved .10 seconds off of her previous school record time of 22.46 seconds.

The 22.36 is Tyson Indoor Track record holder, Tyson Invitational record holder, first in the nation, first in the world, second fastest in collegiate history, and sixth fastest in world history.

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