Nigerian track and field athlete Tobi Amusan recently appeared at the Diamond League in Xiamen and made a strong comeback. Her timing? Well, she couldn’t reach the podium and finished fourth with her season-best timing of 12.74 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles final. Amusan’s performance was a significant improvement, even though she finished fourth, and it set the stage for an exciting season as she continues to prepare for major events later this year.

Fans and experts are hopeful about the 27-year-old star’s future, and her season starts in Xiamen, which is anticipated to be a springboard for even better performances. Every achievement in an athlete’s life is related to their personal life, be it directly or indirectly. Sometimes, they get motivation from real-life incidents, and the support they get from their family is beyond words. Let’s learn about Nigerian track star Tobi Amusan’s parents, who have supported her throughout her journey, although not initially.

Meet Tobi Amusan’s parents 

The 100-meter hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan, was born on April 23, 1997, to Madam Amusan and Kehinde Amusan in Nigeria. Tobi Amusan’s father, Kehinde Amusan, is a teacher, and he tried to persuade his daughter to the best of his ability to drop sports and focus on education. Mr. Amusan wanted Tobi to study medicine, but her fate took her to track. But still, he played a vital role in helping Tobu reach where she is right now. Her mother?

Tobi Amusna’s mother is Madam Amusan, and she is also a teacher,r but unlike her husband, she always supported Tobi in her athletics career. She had to lie to her father, as he objected to her track training; as she put it, “Tell my dad I was going to church while I sneaked to practice.”

Tobi Express once said, “My parents are both teachers; they are strict disciplinarians.” When both parents are into education, it is obvious they would want their child to go higher in studies and focus solely on education. The Nigerian track star revealed, “When you grow up in such a family, they feel you should focus on school. And being a female, they think you are going to go astray, lose focus, and all of that.”

Per a website called The Cable, she even said, “But because my mum saw what I didn’t see [in] myself, she felt she could give me a chance. And she kept telling me not to disappoint her.” Because mothers have a soft corner for their child, despite being strict like a father, and Tobi’s mother did the same. “My mom would tell my dad I was going to church while I sneaked to practice or tell him I was going to a school debate while I went to an out-of-state competition. That’s where it all started,” Tobi further added. Was it all this easy?

Well, no, one day Tobi’s father found out that she was going for training in the name of the church, as he had found it suspicious that whenever he asked his wife about Tobi’s whereabouts, she always told him that she had gone to church. And then came the toughest part. Kehinde Amusan burnt two of Tobi’s training kits to discourage her, but she found her way, and now we have a world champion. As the young prodigy said, “My dad got really mad one time when he found out. He burnt all my training gear and told my mom that’s the last time he wanted to see me in a stadium.” The strictness was on one side, but Father’s love never let Tobi down and always stood by her afterwards.

What is ​Tobi Amusan’s parents’ nationality?

Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan comes from a proud Nigerian family rooted in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. Her parents, Mr. Kehinde Amusan and Mrs. Amusan, have a strong background both in education and sports. In fact, athletics run deep in the family — her father was a talented volleyball player at the state level, while her mother showcased her speed as a sprinter during her college days. It’s no surprise that Tobi inherited both the discipline and athletic spirit from them.