On October 22-23, Global Athletics & Marketing provided several of their young stars, with an amazing opportunity. These young athletes met with the USOC, media, social media experts and photographers, to learn more about the business, but also, about the business of communicaiton.
As part of this communication skills effort, media groups like Track & Field News, LetsRun, Flotrack, Milesplit were invited to interview the athletes. This is the first of those interviews.
I hope you like it.
Cindy Ofili, GA&M, Las Vegas, October 2016, photo by PhotoRun.net
Cindy Ofili Interview, by RunBlogRun
Cindy Ofili is from a wonderfully supportive and talented family. With parents from GBR and Nigeria, and with British and American citizenship, Cindy, like her sister, choose to represent Great Britain in athletics. It had to be a hard decision.
Cindy competed as long as she can remember. And, as the Michigan coach, John Henry reminded her constantly, she competed against one of the very best, each and every day. Cindy's sister is none other than Tiffany Ofili Porter, married to Michigan hurdler Jeff Porter, a two time Olympians and now President of Athletes Advisory at USATF.
As a sophomore in college at Michigan, Cindy made the NCAA indoor 60m hurdle final, finishing sixth in 8.07, her PB. In 2014, Cindy also broke 13 seconds for the first time in the 100 meter hurdles.
Now, this is the fact. The 100 meter hurdles is the most competitive event on the women's side of athletics. In the most recent 100 meter hurdle finals at the Olympics, three were Americans, two were Ofili sisters and missing was the world record holder in the 100 meter hurdles (Keni Harrison).
While Tiffany Porter has been a long time fixture on the global circuit (2 World Indoor bronze, one World oudoor bronze, One European gold Outdoors, one Euro Outdoor bronze, silvers at Euro Indoors and Commonwealth), Cindy is a rising star.
And rising star she is!
In the recent Rio Olympics, where the Americans went 1, 2,3, Cindy Ofili was fourth place runner, and she made a stirring fight over the last two hurdles to take fourth, while her sister was seventh.
It was the speed of her move that impressed me. When I asked Cindy about her obvious killer instinct, she gently moved the conversation to how she came through the ranks of the sport.
A new school teacher, Cindy Ofili graduates from Michigan on December 18. We wish her much success teaching. Via @twitter, Cindy noted "yesterday was my last day of teaching at Burns Park and I ended it with doing two assemblies on how to become an Olympic athlete."
Ofili's enthusiasm is contagious. Watching her race, one sees a swift, agile hurdler, trying to make her mark on the toughest event on the track. And, mark my word, she will. Her fourth place among the finest 100 meter hurdlers in the world should say something to those who support her.
In the following long interview with Cindy, we cover many topics. Special thanks to Cindy Ofili for the time, and Global Athletics & Marketing for the opportunity!
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