16-year-old Gloria Oyeleye wants nothing more to be an Olympic champion for Nigeria.
In the heart of Ebute-Metta in Lagos, is a team of boxers, hard at work as they always do on weekends, punching out the anger, all the way to their dream.
In the midst of these chiseled men with fists of iron is a 16-year-old female boxer. Her name is Gloria Oyeleye and her dream is to be an Olympian.
“I’m not boxing for money, I’m boxing because of records and I want to follow my dreams,” she tells Pulse. “I want to be a National Olympian” she further says.
Gloria comes from a sports family. Her father who is the coach of these group of boxers was once in the ring. Coach Elijah Oyeleye or Coach Oyee heads a family of six boxers, one handball player.
He boxed till pro-level and decided to continue that passion as a nurturer of talent.
Gloria Oyeleye’s brother is in a Floyd Mayweather boxing program in the United States of America.
Gloria has been boxing for 10 years having started at the age of 6. She has just returned from U-15 Youth Games where she won the bronze medal. Despite being only 5 feet tall she has earned a reputation for herself.
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A passerby Edalere Nafiu tells Pulse that, “Last week, she beat one girl that was far taller than her, that one was even crying.”
Gloria who is soft-spoken says “My Mum encourages me to follow my dream.”
Pursuing her boxing ambitions means she has had to deal with her educational obligations too.
“Let me just say, if we have exams, we take permission before we go and when I come back from the event, I write my own.”
Gloria is extremely focused on her ambition and heavily concentrates on it. “I only have friends in the gym,” she says.
For now, her father Coach Oyeleye and his young team are fighting to get a better place to train, “That is what we are fighting for now… We are looking for space, one honourable is looking to set up a school for us…”
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For what they are doing, they definitely deserve better.
Gloria’s dream is also to encourage the upcoming boxers when she makes it.
This article features special contribution from Pulse Career and Money Reporter. Akinbayo Wahab.