Nigeria’s 400m queen, Patience Okon George, has revealed that choosing athletics over football remains the greatest decision she has ever made, despite initially dreaming of a career on the football pitch.
In an interview on the sidelines of the AFN Commonwealth Games Trials, the 34 year old multiple-time African champion reflected on the difficult choices that shaped her remarkable career.
Fresh from winning the women’s 400m title at the trials, Okon George disclosed that football, not athletics, was her first love.
“At first, running on the track was not my goal because I was playing football while also doing athletics,” she said.
The Olympian explained that her passion for football became so strong that her then coach, Coach Ogunike, gave her an ultimatum to choose between the two sports.
“It got to a point when I was living with Coach Ogunike while I was in secondary school. One day, I was at the football field when he called me and asked, ‘Patience, which event do you want to choose?’ I told him I loved football and wanted to choose it. He then said if football was my choice, I should return to my family. So I packed my things and went home because football was my main goal then. I also noticed that whenever I trained on the track, it drained my strength immensely.”
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However, the separation was only temporary.
“One day, he came to my school and told me to return to athletics. He even apologised, but I refused. He later spoke to my father, who convinced me to give athletics another chance.”
Looking back, Okon George believes returning to athletics transformed her life.
“Yes, I was a good footballer, but with the help of Coach Ogunike, I excelled in athletics. The day I received my first national call-up, he was so happy. He reminded me of the day he told me athletics was my true path. I thanked him, and since then, I have remained consistent. From 2013 till today, I have stayed at the top.”
She expressed deep gratitude to the coach she credits for redirecting her career.
“I want to thank Coach Ogunike once again for his advice, support and dedication. Without him, I don’t think I would have returned to athletics. He pushed me to discover where I truly belonged. At one point, I had lost my direction, but like a father, he guided me back and helped me achieve everything I have today.”
Reflecting on her achievements, the veteran quarter-miler believes she made the right choice by leaving football behind.
“I know I have achieved a lot in track and field. I doubt I would have reached this level if I had continued playing football. There is hardly any major track and field competition I haven’t competed in. I am truly grateful to God Almighty for everything.”
Okon George has built one of the most decorated careers in Nigerian athletics, distinguished by her consistency in both the individual 400m and relay events.
Her international breakthrough came at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she won silver medals in the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays. She added another Commonwealth silver in the 4x400m relay at the 2018 Gold Coast Games, reinforcing her reputation as one of Nigeria’s most dependable relay runners.
On the African stage, she has enjoyed sustained success, winning multiple 4x400m relay gold medals at the African Games in Brazzaville (2015), Rabat (2019), and Accra (2023), where she also helped Nigeria secure mixed 4x400m relay gold. She also claimed individual 400m silver in 2015 while collecting several additional relay medals across different editions.
Her dominance has continued at the African Championships, where she has captured relay gold medals in Marrakesh (2014), Asaba (2018), Douala (2024), and Accra (2026), excelling in both the women’s and mixed 4x400m relays. Her medal collection also includes a bronze at the 2014 World Relays in Nassau, a Continental Cup bronze in Marrakesh, and a silver medal at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh.
With more than a decade of excellence at the highest level, Patience Okon George has firmly established herself as one of Nigeria’s greatest 400m runners and one of the country’s finest relay athletes of her generation.
