Japhet, mother of 2 wins 3 medals for Nigeria

By Jacob Ajom
Nigeria began camping for canoeing in June ahead of the 10th All Africa Games. The camp was in Calabar, Cross River State. It was a quiet venture as the sport is relatively new in the country, despite the enormous coast line and numerous communities that either live near water or are locked in riverine areas.
When the Games started in Maputo, Mozambique on September 3, nobody gave the country’s contingent a chance to win anything in the sport. But Nigeria pulled the biggest surprise at the games when her contingent won one silver and two bronze medals at the end of the competition.
One woman made that possible. Little known Lilian Japhet, from Ondo State was the lone winner who bagged the three medals for Nigeria. She was surprised at her achievement.
Soft spoken and somewhat reserved, Lilian was hesitant when this reporter demanded to speak with her. But she eventually succumbed to the reporter’s persistence on speaking with her. Lilian’s story is as interesting as her present status.

“I am from Ondo State,” she began. “I come from Arogbo, in Ese Odo Local Government Area. I am from the Ijaw speaking part of the state.”
From her background, one would easily associate her with water. Although Lilian had known how to swim from childhood, she never had the opportunity to use her expertise scientifically. “I only knew about canoeing in May, this year when my brother, Gbamire Tunde came to me in May and told me that there was a new sport called canoeing, that he would like to introduce me to the sport. From Ikorodu, where I am based he took me to the national stadium and introduced me to the federation. I was lucky to be picked among those for camping. In June we were taken to Calabar for camping. We stayed there till it was time for us to travel for the Games.”
Was she disappointed by her performance? Lilian said, “No. Never. Some people trained for four years for this event and I trained under six months and won a silver and two bronze medals. I am not disappointed at all. I am happy but I believe with better preparations, I could do better.”
She said she had learnt a lot from the games. “I had a great experience. I am happy with my achievement.” Lilian called on the government to help the sport back home because Nigeria has all it takes to sweep all the medals at future games.
Though she looks like an U-18, Lilian said she is 28 and a mother of two.
Before Tunde’s intervention in her life, Lilian’s business was saw-milling. She said she buys logs, transports them on water to saw mills for sawing. She sells woods. “That is what I do,” she said, adding that she will not stop the trade, even after the games.

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