By Paul Eddison

FUNMI Oduwaiye admits she is still a baby in para-athletics but is up for the challenge as she makes her Paralympic debut.

Oduwaiye has only been competing in throwing events since 2022, having previously enjoyed a promising basketball career.

As a teenager, Oduwaiye represented Wales in basketball but underwent multiple surgeries on her knees to try to correct a condition called knock knees.

A damaged artery from one of those surgeries meant that Oduwaiye turned her attentions to para-athletics, appearing at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris last year.

She came sixth in the F64 discus and fourth in the F64 shot and will now return to the French capital to prove that even as a relative newcomer to her sport, she can shine on the biggest stage of all.

She said: “I’ve been in the sport for just over two years now. It’s still quite new to me. People don’t realise that I’m still a baby in this sport. I’m still getting to know everything. I’m up for the challenge, it’s something that excites me as well.

“It’s quite a difference from basketball. The main thing being that it’s an individual sport now compared to a team sport, when I was playing basketball. I’ve always loved team sports and activities.

“But it gives me time to focus on myself and my achievements, I know it’s me that put in the majority of the work. It is a hell of a transition and a difficult one but something I’ve had a lot of support for, from The National Lottery, from my family and the support network around me.”

Now 21, Oduwaiye will star in an upcoming documentary called Path to Paris: Paralympic Dreams which will air on August 25 at 4:55pm and is a project from Channel 4 and British Athletics, supported by The National Lottery.

The documentary follows the fortunes of track and field athletes in their preparations for Paris 2024, giving viewers a unique insight into the journey an athlete takes, and the sacrifices they make to be able to compete for Paralympic gold.

And with such an unusual journey to the top of her sport, Oduwaiye cannot wait for more people to find out about her story.

She said: “It’s quite cool. Working with The National Lottery, British Athletics and Channel 4 on the documentary, it’s been cool to get my story out. I’m excited for people to be able to see who I am behind the athlete.

“They will get to see how hard I’ve had to work to get to where I am. They can see what it takes to become a Paralympic athlete and it’s not just about turning up and you can do it. It’s something you have to work towards, it should be exciting.”

National Lottery players have transformed athletics in the UK, with more than £300 million invested since funding began, supporting both grassroots sport and elite athletes. A new documentary - Path to Paris: Paralympic Dreams airing on Sunday 25th August at 4:55pm on Channel 4 - follows five British athletes as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and offers a unique insight into how National Lottery players support them on their journey.