One of the most memorable moments captured at the 2000 Olympics for Canadians came near the end of the games. An unknown young man competing in the relatively anonymous sport of Wrestling won a gold medal. As is tradition, someone passed him his home flag. Daniel Igali then laid it on the ground, and danced around it. He then bent down and kissed his adopted flag. After he received his medal, and turned towards the raising flags during the ceremony, Igali sang the words and wept openly. Since this genuinely raw emotional scene, I have continued to read stories about this extraordinary man, whenever one lands in the news.
By the time the official medal ceremonies began, word had spread of this big hearted sportsman and the struggles he overcome throughout his life. Igali grew up Nigeria.........one of 20 children in his extended family. It was during the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria that he made the decision to leave his life and family behind in order to remain in Canada to pursue both his education and athletic career. He lived in a 2 room basement apartment in B.C., enrolled in University and linked up with a coach to hone his skills. Despite only having the very basics even in Canada, he thrived and never lost sight of his goal..............to make it to the Olympics
The original school the Igali attended as a child was a thatched roof shack that had to be closed anytime it rain. It was ill-equipped and not big enough for the children living in the area. After his surprise win, this Olympian continued to pursue his studies, obtaining a degree in Criminology, all the while focusing on raising funds to build a new school in his home village.
After several more years than he expected, the Maureen Matheny Academy (named after the woman who looked after him and brought him into her family when he moved to Vancouver) opened. Along the way, he met various donors, both private and public who believed his vision and supported his dream.
Daniel Igali is an inspiration. His full personal story is one of determination and integrity. His personal seeing this new school open with amenities for learning, paid teachers brings hope to a whole village. It may be that this personal vision is completed, but I know that we havent seen the last of this strong humble man who has overcome such diversity.
3 comments:
I sure needed a positive and inspiring story this evening! Glad I dropped by here after watching a very depressing documentary called "Loose Change".
I remember that moment so well. It really made me proud to have him as a representative of our country.
Great piece.
Scott
Hi Laura!
Thank you for visiting my blogsite. How wonderful it must've been to have taken part in the excitement.
I hope you return often......my blog is a bit of a hodge podge....depends on what strikes my fancy while writing, but I'm always pulled to the stories that inspire.
Here's a coincidence.......Daniel was in Fredericton last week visiting a school.......I only heard of this after the fact, unfortunately. Cheers.
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