CALGARY – One of the most decorated athletes to ever compete for the University of Calgary Dinos capped off her five-year athletic career with a bang.
Wrestler and rugby player
Temitope Ogunjimi had a fantastic athletic career for the Dinos. In Canada West she collected an impressive five gold medals in wrestling, and after joining the women's rugby squad, she added two gold medals.
On top of competing in both sports for the Dinos, Ogunjimi was very successful with her time management, performing well both athletically and academically.
Her determination and efforts this season earned her the title of 2018 U SPORTS Wrestler of the Year as well as the Student-Athlete Community Service Award.
"Honestly, I did not expect to get the outstanding wrestler of the year. I was just in awe when I heard about it," said Ogunjimi.
"I was like 'Are you kidding me?' It made me feel so happy. I was like, 'Oh my goodness, people see the work that I have put in,'" she added.
In February, the 67kg wrestler won her first-ever gold medal at the U SPORTS Wrestling Championships in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. in her fifth and final season.
That prompted her nod for the awards.
"For the student achievement award, it just made me feel like I have been doing this right for the last five years," said Ogunjimi.
"I've been working hard and not just excelling in sports, but also in school. Because to me, long-term and after sports, I want to have a career."
"It's great to show recruits or younger athletes that you can do both and you don't have to prioritize one. You can prioritize both, and you can still get your goals," she explained.
Learning how to manage her time better throughout the five years at the university, and her teammates being there for her helped make dealing with the pressure of being a student-athlete easier.
"I couldn't have done it without my teammates and friends. They kept me sane," she said.
With wrestling and rugby having similar physical elements, Ogunjimi made a quick transition to a two-sport athlete in university.
"I knew from the abilities I had in wrestling, in terms of the physicality, I could translate that to rugby in some way. As soon as I stepped on the field I could see how it correlated," she explained.
When it comes to influences around her, she explained that having not only varsity athletes, but also club athletes, Olympians and world champions around campus really helped with her development.
"The help and the knowledge I have acquired over the past five years have helped me own who I am the more and more I progress, in terms of wrestling," Ogunjimi explained.
When it comes to rugby, her teammates and coaches really helped show her the ropes. They were always there to answer questions and work on the skills she needed, according to Ogunjimi.
She said that everyone has asked her which sport she prefers, but she can't decide. She enjoys both sports for different reasons.
"They're completely different, and the competition aspects of them are very different, too," she said.
She likes the individual aspect of wrestling, and knowing its just between her and her opponent. However, she enjoys having a team behind her that she can rely on in rugby, and enjoys the team effort, support and camaraderie with her teammates.
Ogunjimi said that rugby gave her a little bit of what wrestling couldn't.
The positivity that was produced by the women's rugby team this year is something that Ogunjimi will never forget.
"We created this attitude and every day when we woke up to do a team activity or something we would just say, "We're in the Bahamas!"
"That is still something we all talk about. We took away the negative and added a positive, and that just showed how much as a team we could work," she explained.
Finishing fourth at nationals wasn't necessarily the result the team wanted, but according to Ogunjimi, "No one was complaining and we all knew everyone put in 110 per cent."
Ogunjimi is one of five female Dinos athletes who have received Awards of Merit and are up for the Dr. Dennis Kadatz Athlete of the Year. The hardware will be handed out at the 51st Annual Night of the Dino awards gala Tuesday, April 3, at the Red and White Club at McMahon Stadium.
