When Comfort Onyali started athletics in 2002, she carried on like a girl who has been forced into a marriage she never bargained for.

This was because her attitude during training with coach Armelia Edet was more of a spectacle. Onyali with disdain, would brush off the sand from her ever fresh looking body, whenever she stood up from the long jump pit.

And the voice of coach Edet barking instruction would be heard echoing around the tracks of national stadium Surulere, Lagos.

However, the young lass had her famous cousin and former African queen of the tracks, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi as an inspiration, she also had a brother who was probing her on. Onyali was in and out of local competitions, but never really made an impact.

She joined the exodus of Nigerian athletes drifting to Spain without a mission in 2005. Though she participated in meets in Europe, she did not return home to compete for a team place to any international competition Nigeria participated. Nothing was heard of her until  she stole quietly back into the country during the Mobil track and field championships in June.

“My coming home was by the grace of God, I didn’t think I would have come. It was the Athletics Federation of Nigeria president, Solomon Ogba and my sister Mary that encouraged me to come home,” Onyali said.

At the Mobil championships Onyali who packed more muscles to beef up her once slim stature, was fired up for action. She was walking with the confidence of a world champion and the spectators there looked forward to a show down between her and Nigeria’s leading jumper Blessing Okagabre. Sadly that confrontation did not come, because driving rains at the U.J Esuene stadium prevented the girls from competition at full throttle.

However, Onyali made the team to the African Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. It was her first international competition in her athletics career.

“I was really glad that I made the team to the championships. It was thrilling being one of those who represented Nigeria at Nairobi.”

It did not end there for Onyali, she went on to win silver behind Okagabre’s winning jump of 6.88m. Onyali leapt to 6.56m her seasons best,  it was her first decoration at any competition. In an instant she remembered the over 18 assorted medals hanging in the closet of her mentor and sister.

“You will never know how happy I was getting a silver. It was thrilling to me  for my country, putting  putting on my national colour for the first time is something that I will not forget.

With Nairobi 2010 behind her, Onayli said that she is looking forward to other competitions. She will was included in the list of selected athletes to the Commonwealth Games October in New Delhi, India and that for her will be a total new experience.