Mary Akor dreams Athens

Nigerian born Mary Akor stunned pundits in the United States few days back as she placed 18th amongst the 107-runners in the United States trials to make the Olympic Marathon standard at a time of 2hours 40minutes 37secs (2:40:37) breaking the old Nigerian marathon record of 2:45:54 in the process.

Akor 27, hails from Imo state, Nigeria and despite holding a dual citizenship, she is qualified to represent Nigeria at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games should the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) decide to pick her.

Olympic standard for the Women's marathon is as follows: A- Standard is 2:37:00 and B-Standard 2:42:00 whilst the Men Marathon also includes: A- Standard 2:15:00 and B-standard 2:18:00.

With Mary Akor running 2:40:37 she made the B standard and qualifies to represent either the United States or Nigeria at the Olympics next summer.

In the beginning
Mary Akor now lives in Gardena-California combining Athletics with her social worker job in the US.

Not a complete stranger to the Nigerian Athletics stage as she used to run for Lagos State whilst in Nigeria. Interestingly, she qualified to represent Nigeria in the 10,000 meters of the Olympic Games in Barcelona’92 but got her dream cut short by the AFN due to her young age.

“It was a sad moment to remember. I was on top of the world when I made the Olympic standards but the world crashed on me when I was told I was too young to go to the Olympics” she told Nigeriasports.com

“It was a huge disappointment and I just took sometime out to remember my marathon victories in 1991 and 1992 and immediately concluded that I needed to make something out of my life and I had my eyes on America” she recalled.

Coming to America
In 1993, Akor came to New York to participate in the New York Marathon and decided to stay put in the United States to start a new life.

“It was a new beginning for me and I decided to forget about all the things that had happened in Nigeria. I needed to do that to keep my focus and make the best out of my life” she explained.

After the New York marathon, she quickly moved down to California and attended both high school and Junior college in California and got a degree in Social Work.

“I combine my Social work with athletics and it’s a strong factor that is keeping me alive. Nigerian athletes need education to survive here in the US and am no exception” said Akor.

Living her dreams
The ebony Akor says living in the United States is taking her closer to her Olympic dreams.

“I don’t know what to do should the United States invite me for Athens but deep down my heart! My dreams has always been to represent Nigeria in the Olympic Games and I’ll be delighted to run for Nigeria if I am considered”

“The notion that Nigerians can’t run marathon and long distance races should be discarded. I run alongside Kenyans, Ethiopians and top British athletes in both the 10k Walk and Marathon here in the US and I often beat them and sometimes they come ahead of me” she noted.

“I believe you are capable of beating anyone if given the chance. We need to give people chance and encouragement and such opportunities to do well will only make the best out of the athletes”

Total Recall
Akor says she recalls with nostalgic her first World Championship trials in Nigeria and felt she was just unlucky to miss out on the world’s stage that year.

“I was in Nigeria for the 2001 World Championship trials but failed to make the mark. I got to Nigeria few days to the race and the weather really affected me. It was really hot in Lagos and I had fever on the eve of the race.

“My performance in the US was highlighted and a lot of the officials didn’t believe I was the same person. They said all sort of things like I was fake and all that, it was really annoying and I felt I was misjudged”

The near future
Akor hope to still make her Olympic dreams at 27, to show the world that Nigeria has the potential to win at least a bronze at the World stage.

“The story of my life will only be complete when and if I make the Olympics. I can only hope and pray the Athletics Federation of Nigeria gives me a chance to make Nigeria proud because that was the exact statement I told the press here in the US after the trials”

“I coach myself here and practice amongst some of the World’s best distance runners in the US and I can only hope for another great future and opportunities ahead” she concluded.

Meanwhile, The USA trials on April 3 saw former South African star Collen De Reuck come tops as she returned a time of 2:28:25 amongst the 107-runners.

[photo alt="Reuck" width=200 height=200 align=right]Reuck[/photo]

The 39-year old Reuck now a US citizen represented South Africa at the Olympic Games in 1992, 1996 and 2000 in both the 10,000 meters and the Marathon but has since renounced her South African citizenship and vowed never to run for the country again, following accusations from the South African Athletics commission of being troublesome and past her prime.