University Southern California Trojans
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/ Track & Field
Getting To Know Chioma Okonkwo
February 12, 2020 | Track & Field, Features
Chioma Okonkwo is a freshman sprinter for the Trojans. Okonkwo is from Temecula, Calif. where she attended Murrieta Mesa High School and was a member of the National Honors society along with class Vice President. In high school she set five school records. Okonkwo is majoring in Civil Engineering. I had a chance to sit down with her today and find out a little more about the talented freshman.
Q: Why did you choose to run track at USC?
C.O.: I choose to run track at USC because of the athletics, but also my major was civil engineering architecture and they have a really good program. Also my coaches, it's a bond you don't have at a lot of other schools, coaches that really want to work with you and inspire you and push you to your limits.
Q: What's it been like to be around all the talented athletes at USC?
C.O.: Honestly it's been the greatest blessing of my life. People that you kind of looked up to are all the sudden your teammates and they want you to do better and they want you to be good. I get to pick their brains and just try to follow in their footsteps and try and make a name for yourself.
Q: What's the most interesting place you've competed at?
C.O.: Idaho. I guess their thing in Idaho is the potato, so everywhere I went there were potatoes and they gave us potatoes stuffed animals. Energy wise it was really cool, that was the most interesting place.
Q: Which race is your favorite to run?
C.O.: Probably the 400m, I've grown to love it a lot because it is a longer race. Not to say that you should make mistakes, but you have a little more room to correct yourself.
Q: What is your best event?
C.O.: I run the 400m and 200m and maybe the 4x400m.
Q: What's your favorite part about being an athlete at USC?
C.O.: The relationships I've developed. Having classes with non-track athletes and just spending time with the same people for hours. The mentorship from my coaches has been great.
Q: What's on your Instagram discover page and is it an accurate representation of your interests today?
C.O.: Track photos, animals, science and tech, and travel
Q: Favorite animal
C.O.: Killer Whale
Q: What is your favorite music genre?
C.O.: Afrobeats, a lot of AfroNation, Burna Boy, Wizkid
Q: What do you listen to before races?
C.O.: Usually I listen to Afrobeats and I love Chance the Rapper or gospel
Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies?
C.O.: I love drawing and painting, sometimes I love oil painting, but I love drawing with a pen and pencil. I draw a lot of sneakers and fashion items. I also just started playing piano last semester
Q: What is the most important part of your identity/brand?
C.O.: One is I really see myself as a student just as much as I am an athlete. The other is my lineage. My parents are Nigerian and I take that very seriously. Being born in the U.S., this has been the first culture I was introduced to. I know my language, I can't speak it, but I can understand it. I like to stay close to home by calling, we are a really close family.
Q: Why did you choose civil engineering?
C.O.: I've always been really creative and when I was younger I downloaded the Sims and was like this house building stuff is kind of cool. I thought I might want to get into architecture and that has been a goal of mine ever since.
Q: Why did you choose to run track at USC?
C.O.: I choose to run track at USC because of the athletics, but also my major was civil engineering architecture and they have a really good program. Also my coaches, it's a bond you don't have at a lot of other schools, coaches that really want to work with you and inspire you and push you to your limits.
Q: What's it been like to be around all the talented athletes at USC?
C.O.: Honestly it's been the greatest blessing of my life. People that you kind of looked up to are all the sudden your teammates and they want you to do better and they want you to be good. I get to pick their brains and just try to follow in their footsteps and try and make a name for yourself.
Q: What's the most interesting place you've competed at?
C.O.: Idaho. I guess their thing in Idaho is the potato, so everywhere I went there were potatoes and they gave us potatoes stuffed animals. Energy wise it was really cool, that was the most interesting place.
Q: Which race is your favorite to run?
C.O.: Probably the 400m, I've grown to love it a lot because it is a longer race. Not to say that you should make mistakes, but you have a little more room to correct yourself.
Q: What is your best event?
C.O.: I run the 400m and 200m and maybe the 4x400m.
Q: What's your favorite part about being an athlete at USC?
C.O.: The relationships I've developed. Having classes with non-track athletes and just spending time with the same people for hours. The mentorship from my coaches has been great.
Q: What's on your Instagram discover page and is it an accurate representation of your interests today?
C.O.: Track photos, animals, science and tech, and travel
Q: Favorite animal
C.O.: Killer Whale
Q: What is your favorite music genre?
C.O.: Afrobeats, a lot of AfroNation, Burna Boy, Wizkid
Q: What do you listen to before races?
C.O.: Usually I listen to Afrobeats and I love Chance the Rapper or gospel
Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies?
C.O.: I love drawing and painting, sometimes I love oil painting, but I love drawing with a pen and pencil. I draw a lot of sneakers and fashion items. I also just started playing piano last semester
Q: What is the most important part of your identity/brand?
C.O.: One is I really see myself as a student just as much as I am an athlete. The other is my lineage. My parents are Nigerian and I take that very seriously. Being born in the U.S., this has been the first culture I was introduced to. I know my language, I can't speak it, but I can understand it. I like to stay close to home by calling, we are a really close family.
Q: Why did you choose civil engineering?
C.O.: I've always been really creative and when I was younger I downloaded the Sims and was like this house building stuff is kind of cool. I thought I might want to get into architecture and that has been a goal of mine ever since.
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