Lions’ Rio speedsters share a long history
Sekou Kaba
Athletics
Age: 25
Local Club: Ottawa Lions
Olympics: First
Twitter: @sekou_kaba
SCHEDULE:
Mon. Aug. 15
Men’s 110 m hurdles round 1
7:15 p.m. ET
Tue. Aug. 16
semis & final
7:15 p.m. ET
Segun Makinde
Athletics
Age: 25
Local Club: Ottawa Lions
Olympics: Second
Twitter: @SegunMakinde
SCHEDULE:
Thu. Aug. 18
Men’s 4×100 m round 1
8:30 a.m. ET
Fri. Aug. 19
Men’s 4×100 m final
7:10 p.m. ET
By Alex Quevillon
Ottawa Lions friends Sekou Kaba and Segun Makinde are both headed off to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics, having taken their own slightly different paths to get there, but nonetheless remaining at each other’s side the whole way.
Kaba and Makinde were both born in Africa – Guinea and Nigeria respectively – before their families came to Ottawa.
They first met as rivals in high school track – Kaba from Sir Robert Borden and Makinde from Colonel By. Now seven years later, they distinctly remember a 2009 showdown for the senior boys’ 110-metre hurdles city championship.
“That’s old school,” laughs Makinde when shown the photo (below, left) of him breaking Kaba’s national capital record in the event. “It’s funny – I beat Sekou in that race, but now he’s the one going for hurdles at the Olympics.”
Kaba also now chuckles at the memory, though he had an injury that lingered throughout that season and likely wasn’t laughing at the time.
“I was hurdling with my opposite leg to get to that point,” recalls Kaba, who moved to Ottawa in 2007 after previously living in Michigan and Georgia. “Eventually I wanted to defend my title but it didn’t work out. I think I blew out my hamstring during that race.”
Though Makinde eventually turned his focus exclusively to the 100 and 200 m, the pair bonded as hurdlers with the Lions. They both elected to stay in town and study at the University of Ottawa, each winning Canadian university crowns for the Gee-Gees in 2012.
The now-25-year-olds celebrated their first international titles at the same meet as well at the 2013 Francophone Games, which was Kaba’s first time representing Canada after receiving his citizenship.
The humble and dedicated speedsters are superb role models in the way they carry themselves, say their coaches, and have both remained persistent to overcome many challenges en route to the Games.
Heading into this Olympic season, Makinde’s recent results were not indicative that a personal-best run was about to come.
A London 2012 Olympian at age 21, he’d lost his national team spot last season, placing 10th at nationals to miss competing at a home Pan Am Games. And then he suffered a torn hamstring earlier this year.
“That was a really low time for me,” reflects Makinde, who’d made it his season’s goal to simply get back to running. “But I had great support from this community, everybody kind of knew what was going on, and that support here really went a long way.”
On the heels of a personal-best 100 m performance of 10.24 seconds in June, Makinde blazed through the preliminary rounds at the July 7-10 Canadian Olympic team trials in (a wind-aided) 10.17, and then earned a spot on Canada’s six-member 4×100 m relay team by finishing the final 5th in 10.35.
“It’s a great honour, and a relief once you know for sure you’re on the team,” he indicates. “It’s a great goal and an accomplishment, representing myself, Canada, my family, sponsors, my community, the Lions, and having that platform to inspire generations younger and older to have that combination to dream big, never give up and have fun with the process even when it’s hard.”
Though he wouldn’t be favoured to compete in Rio as the nationals 5th-place finisher on a four-runner squad, national relay/Lions coach Glenroy Gilbert feels Makinde is a big asset to the team’s lineup regardless.
“His intensity, focus, passion for the sport and to win is huge,” underlines Gilbert. “He’s been part of the squad for a few years – the younger guys could benefit from having him around.”
Likewise, Kaba’s demeanour is calm, cool and collected at all times, refusing to be rattled by any situation, says his coach for the better part of a decade.
“I’m trying to think if I’ve ever seen him upset, or angry?” reflects the Lions’ Andy McInnis. “No. No, I haven’t. He has a good handle on himself – unlike a lot of people. It’s all part of his character. It’s who he is.”
Lying under the laid-back exterior is a fiercely competitive athlete on the inside, however, adds McInnis, who’s watched his athlete slowly but steadily progress to the level he’s now attained as Olympian with a personal-best time of 13.43.
“I’ve coached athletes who are definitely better than him, but haven’t taken things as far as he has,” notes the Ottawa Lions club head coach of 11 years. “For him to be where he is and have the opportunities he’s had, he’s worked hard for it.”
McInnis says Kaba is “definitely one of the slowest hurdlers I’ve ever coached in terms of flat speed” – likely giving up a full second compared to top rivals if they raced the course without obstacles.
“But he brings a competitiveness to the race, he’s got good agility, which the race is all about,” he adds. “So he makes up for what he doesn’t have with what he does have.”
One of Kaba’s favourite parts about becoming an Olympian is getting to connect with the youngsters, he says.
“I live every day to try to impact as many people as possible, do my best to spread positive energy, and with this accomplishment it definitely goes a long way,” highlights Kaba, who grew up as one of seven impressionable siblings. “I absolutely love kids, there are kids who just want to say they spent 10 minutes with an Olympian – which I’m not yet, I will be – but it’s awesome to put a smile on their face. It means the world.”
Segun Makinde’s favourite motto:
“The more you seek the uncomfortable, the more you will become comfortable.”
Sekou Kaba’s favourite quote:
“It’s never wrong to do the right thing.” – Mark Twain