OUR LEGEND OF THE WEEK #6

We grew up to hear people say: “What a man can do, a woman can do it better”. Surprisingly, a young lady has modified this to: “What a man cannot do, a woman can do it excellently”. She is Nigeria’s latest personage. Who is she?

The last time Nigeria won a medal in the world championship was in the year 1999. On August 11, this 25 year old Nigerian-born athlete, Blessing Okagbare, made the headlines of all National Dailies when she ended the country’s 14-Year wait for Medal at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia. It was a tremendous moment for the nation; she is indeed a champion!

            Okagbare was born in Sapele, Delta State where she faced so many challenges in life. She did not give up. Instead, she turned her challenges into great successes through hardwork and determination. Blessing is a long and triple jumper and short sprinter; she is an Olympic and World medalist in the long jump, World medalist in the 200m, and the African record holder in the 100m. She says she started jumping in 2004. “I actually was not a long jumper back then, I was a triple jumper. I won a gold medal in long jump and bronze medal in high jump as a Junior athlete for Delta State at the 2004 National Secondary Schools Games in Owerri, Imo State and later that year I attended the 14th National Sports Festival held in Abuja and won a bronze doing the triple jump.” This marked a turning point for Okagbare as she went on to represent Nigeria at the 2006 World Junior Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, but did not make it past the qualifying round.

  

At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Okagbare won the silver medal in the long jump. Her jump of 6.99m put her in second place behind Brittney Reese of the United States by only 2 cm. In the 100m final, she placed sixth with a run of 11.04.  The 2010 graduate, University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) also placed third in the Women's 200m race. She is a winner of many medals at various levels of athletic competitions such as Olympic Games, World Championships, All-Africa Games, African Championships, Continental Cup, USA Collegiate and other Athletic Championships. Having achieved such a laudable feat, she was recently rewarded by the Nigerian government with a sum of #3 million and #3.5 million for her coach. She is also expected to receive a National Honour later in the year.

          Blessing Okagbare is a huge source of motivation to people of the younger generation, within and outside Nigeria. She has proven to all and sundry that “what a man cannot do, a woman can do it even excellently”. Blessing has blessed Nigeria with medals.

           Gender or Socio-economic background is not a barrier to greatness. You must endeavour to leave indelible footprints on the sands of time just like Blessing Okagbare.

                       hrfnigeria@gmail.com          @HRF_Nigeria          08148327860

You may also want to read: HRF LEGEND OF THE WEEK #5, TUNDE KELANI http://hrfnigeria.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/our-lrgend-of-week-5.html?m=1

 

OUR LEGEND OF THE WEEK #5

“He is not a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a sports man or an actor. Yet, he has proven to the whole world that when you are diligent at whatever you do, you will wine and dine with the most successful people because you are one as well!” 

We are about to reveal to you the brain behind some of the notable blockbusters in the Nigerian film industry. He is the masquerade behind the cameras of those ground-breaking movies with a second-to-none quality graphics even at a time when Nollywood was non- existent. You will definitely remember masterpieces like THUNDERBOLT MAGUN, SAWOROIDE, TI OLUWA NILE, OLEKU, THE NARROW PATH, ARUGBA, and MAAMI. But, you know what! He has never appeared on screen as an actor. Let’s meet the legendary cinematographer, movie director and producer, TUNDE KELANI.

Born in Lagos and raised in Abeokuta, T K as he is fondly called has played a central and pivotal role in Nigerian cinema. He has contributed to most of the feature films that have been made in Nigeria on celluloid in his capacity as a Cinematographer since the 70’s. He became an apprentice photographer in the Lagos studios of Dotun Okubajo from 1969 to 1970. Shortly after, he joined the newly established Western Nigerian Television as trainee cameraman and started on a career path that would lead him to being one of Africa’s most prolific filmmakers.

Tunde Kelani believes that “whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well”; he holds a Diploma in the Art and Technique of Filmmaking from the London International Film School, London. After many years in the Nigerian Film Industry as a Cinematographer, he now manages MAINFRAME FILMS & TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS, an outfit formed to document Nigeria's rich culture. He also does newsreel, shorts and documentary work for BBC world service and other international news organizations in Nigeria and Africa, including, the M-Net New Directions initiative as cinematographer, director and producer. TK has been involved in various movie productions as the cinematographer/director such as: Ireke onibudo, Efunsetan, Vigilante, Iya ni wura, Ogun Ajaye, Mosebolatan, kannakanna, Eri okan, Ti oluwa nile, Ayo ni mo fe, koseegbe, Oleku, A place called home, The White handkerchief, Twins of the rain forest, Saworoide, Thunderbolt, A barber's wisdom, Agogoeewo, The Campus queen, The Narrow path, Abeni, Arugba and Maami. TK will wow every mind once again as he is set to release a new movie on the peculiar blood genotype – Sickle cell. DAZZLING MIRAGE is the title. Don’t miss it!!!

Tunde Kelani is a recipient of numerous national and international awards. Some of these include: 2013 AMAA (African Movie Academy Awards) Lifetime achievement award; AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards); the prestigious 2012 Africa Reel Award at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF), California, USA; Heart of Africa Awards; several AMAA ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best picture’ categories amongst others.

Tunde Kelani is passing a message across to you. Can you hear him loud and clear? He’s saying this: “Do not follow the multitude, follow your heart”. Get a direction for your life and don’t regret studying that course or being in that profession/job because your future is very bright so far you can DREAM BIG and WORK HARD. Don’t be discouraged, IF YOU CAN THINK IT, YOU CAN DO IT!

                  hrfnigeria@gmail.com          @HRF_Nigeria          08148327860

 You may also like to read this: HRF Legend of the week #4, FELA DUROTOYE                 http://hrfnigeria.blogspot.com/2013/08/our-legend-of-week-4.html?=1