I’m a Bad Expat: I was so Busy Cheering On USA, I overlooked Superb Athletes from my Native Sierra Leone
So having lived in the United States since immigrating here with my parents at age 4, I am authentically more American than African. If you heard me speak, you many not know I was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Also, though I have common features of other women from my mom’s tribe, Mende, many people assume I am an African American.
So, each international competition, because I have American principles, and upbringing and have American-born children, I usually root for USA. I also root for my husband’s Native Trinidad and Tobago because the twin island has a superb global reputation and standing in several world sporting categories.
Sierra Leone rarely makes world appearances. So I forget or even ignore athletes from my Native land even when they are competing.
Well, this year, a fellow ex-pat reprimanded via Facebook all of us who are rooting on Gabby and Phelps while not really supporting our home town players.
So alas, I did some digging and was very proud of learning about two superb world-class athletes that are repping Team Salone in these Rio Olympics:
HASFATU KAMARA — Track and Field
The 100 Meter Finals are the highlight of the Track and Field events at each Olympics!
This year, I am proud of my fellow child of Sierra Leonean 🇱🇱immigrants, Hafsatu Kamara, who passed the preliminaries and will be running in Lane 1 in Heat 2 of Round 1 tonight at 9:47pm ET
She came in number 1 in her heat in the preliminary round. (See pic, via Sarran Lan Jabbie)
And she was #5 out of 24 athletes who competed to make it to Round 1 who didn’t already pre-qualify! Woot!
Hafsatu is local too! She was born in Virginia though she is now 28-years old and works as a physical therapist in Phoenix, Arizona!
A few trade magazine did a write up on her to document her Road to Rio. I summarize and provide some excerpts from those articles.
She started late compared to other international world class runners and has only been running for 6 years.
However she has made up that time.
“In the short time since competing, she has already represented Sierra Leone in several International sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and most recently the African Championship sports.
“Hafsatu is the current record holder as the fastest Sierra Leonean female 100/ 200m sprinter, clocking in at 11.78, breaking the previous 11.87 record.”
She says her “ultimate goal is to inspire young Sierra Leone girls that they can surpass any challenge and they can be impactful as women, especially in sports.”
She said, “A personal goal of mine is to be the first Sierra Leonean to medal in a major competition and to rewrite my country’s athletic history with my name.
My community goal is to start a foundation that will implement sports and fitness at a young age to the Sierra Leonean community.”
Bravo!!
In London, 2012, we had First Gen Sierra Leonean-American Gold medalist Jeneba Tarmoh to cheer on for Team USA.
This year, we have Hafsatu!
Osman Kamara -Swimming
I want to say congrats to my native Sierra Leonean countryman Osman Kamara who came in 4th in his heat in the 50 meter men’s freestyle yesterday.
He competed in the 100 m freestyle, 50 m backstroke and 50 m butterfly events at the 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) and in the 50 m freestyle and 50 m butterfly events at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona.
In Barcelona he set national records for the 50 m butterfly and 50 m freestyle.
He didn’t make it to the finals but I am proud he qualified and made it to Rio!
photos: Getty, NeuroModec, TOCA
