Malachi Keys, Contributing Writer
About 5,500 miles away from his home, third-year track star Jude Okafor is setting VCU program records and making his family proud.
“Whenever I hear their voice on the phone, they say, ‘remember why you’re there; do the best that you can,’ and that motivates me,” Okafor said.
Okafor is the youngest of seven siblings and started playing soccer in high school in Nigeria. However, his journey in sports took a turn after his coaches convinced him to try out track. This was the start of something special, as VCU soon came calling.
Okafor was hesitant to leave home, but with the support of his family and community he traveled to the United States to chase his dreams and pursue his goals.
“I’m not just here to run track. I’m here to be great, not just good. I want to be great,” Okafor said.
For the Nigerian athlete, greatness may only scratch the surface of his potential as a Ram. Okafor set the VCU 300 meter record at the Virginia Tech Invitational on Jan. 16 with a blazing time of 33.7 seconds.
Just a few weeks later, he broke the VCU indoor 400 meter program record on Feb. 7 at the Virginia Military Institute Winter Relays with a time of 47.88 seconds.
Although being an ocean apart from his family comes with mental and emotional stresses, Okafor found his home away from home at VCU.
“My coaches, they don’t just treat me like an athlete — they treat me like family,” Okafor said. “My teammates and my coaches, they have been very supportive.”
Despite sitting in the record books today, it has not been the smoothest road for the star sprinter.
Okafor dealt with a lingering ankle and lower leg injury that prevented him from performing at the level he knew he was capable of early in his career.
Injuries were not the only thing holding Okafor back from his full potential, according to VCU Head Coach Jon Riley. His mindset had to be curated to where it currently stands.
“It’s a process — year three,” Riley said. “The female student athletes, year one, two, they are buying in. Sometimes it takes the guys a little bit longer. It takes a good two or three years before they totally get it.”
Along with buying into Riley’s process, Okafor credits his spiritual beliefs and relationship with God for his recent successes.
“I pray every day to God. I go to church every Sunday,” Okafor said. “Whenever I pray to God, I find this sort of special peace. Even though I may not always make the right decisions, the Holy Spirit leads me through.”
Okafor is a health services major and plans on working on the administrative side of hospitals and clinics, specifically in occupational therapy.
“When I was a kid, I always wanted to give,” Okafor said. “I want to give to the community, I want to give to people. I want to graduate and then go into occupational therapy for my master’s degree.”
Okafor will travel to Virginia Beach for the Atlantic-10 Indoor Track and Field Championship on Feb. 27 and 28 where he will have the opportunity to break even more records and further solidify his spot in VCU history.