NSF: Competing With Champions My Greatest Inspiration, Anambra Heptathlon Wizkid
Paschaline Izundu, 16-year old athletic wonder kid from Anambra has described his participation at the ongoing National Sports Festival (NSF) in Delta State as inspirational.
Izundu, an SS2 student of Ide secondary school, Enugu-Ukwu in Njikoka LGA said she was glad to have progressed in her athletics career since she developed interest about a year ago.
The budding heptathlon who took part in four events on Sunday said she was satisfied with her performance, adding that would rule her world at the NSF with more training.
Izundu on Sunday finished fourth in
100 metres hurdles and 200 metres respectively, threw a distance of 6.21 meters in shotput and lept a height of, high jump 1.55 metres in high jump.
She said “I am satisfied because this is my first time jumping over 10 hurdles, I never tried it before, so coming fourth was good for me, In shotput, I did 6 meters but that was a miracle for me because trained on it for two weeks.
“For the high jump, I started as a novice, I was doing 1.20 to 1.30 metres but I came here and did 1.50metres with ease. It was miraculous, I ended up jumping 1.55 metres but I was not impressed in my 200 metres, I used to be better than that.
“I am so happy competing with champions and I believe I will do better in my next appearance, in two years time, I see myself winning gold,” she said.
Izundu who attributed her success so far to Coach Johnny Igboka, Head of Anambra Athletics team said sports had enhanced her academic performance.
She said she would combine sports and academics as both had no negative effect on each other for a determined mind.
Izundu said the recent feat of Tobi Amusan at the world stage was a huge motivation to her and she was now her role model.
“Sports has helped my academic performance, as a matter of fact, I am better now than I used to be.
“Training helps me to ease stress, every session makes me have a good rest and I wake up stronger.
” My earliest exposure to sports was In JSS 1, during inter house sports, I was called to represent My house where I won prizes and from there, I started going to represent my school invitations.
“That was where I took interest in track and field, the recent one that boosted my morale was when Tobi broke the world record, that was where I concluded that I can do it in my own time,” she said.
