RHASIDAT ADELEKE has paid an emotional tribute to her first coach Johnny Fox, who has died.
Fox passed away at the age of 83 after a short illness.
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He was a well-known volunteer at Tallaght Athletics Club where Adeleke came through and he coached her to her European Under-18 200m title in 2018.
And the Olympic medal prospect welled up when she reflected on the impact he had on her.
Adeleke said: “I’ve been reflecting on everything he’s done for me.
“He was my first coach at Tallaght since I was about 12 or 13 and he built me up so much, not just as an athlete but my characteristics as an individual. He showed me the values to have in life and he is so wise.
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“He lived through so many experiences and shared those with me so I can learn from those experiences and not have to endure certain things.
“He did so much for me. He’d take me to practice or competitions if my Mam was at work or something.
“He invested in me so much and saw my talent and he spoke to me, motivated me, made sure I was going to be on the right path, making sure I was going to be doing the best for myself.
“I appreciated him so much. Through all my major decisions, like me coming to America, I spoke to him and he gave me the best advice.
“Me turning pro — so many different things I still involved him in my life. He was very cheerful.
“He’d always crack jokes and was always in a good mood.
“He was a volunteer for over 50 years in Tallaght and he was just so invested in his athletes and made sure they were progressing. He was there for everyone.
“If you called him he was going to answer. He was going to make sure you were all right if you were having a bad day and put a smile on your face. He was just an amazing, amazing man. The whole community would say the same.
“Everybody knows him in Tallaght and beyond. He helped Pieta House and had so many projects he was doing to better the world and make the world a better place. That’s what he did every day.”
Adeleke, of course, is the most famous athlete with whom he worked.
Her latest feat was to be part of a Team International relay side which set a world-best time for a 4x200m run.
OLYMPIC DREAM
The next big date is the World Relay Championships in the Bahamas where she hopes to pick up where she left off with her Ireland team mates.
She said: “We’ve run with each other so many times, we all know each other very well. It’s going to be like my first championships in a while and it’s just so nice for me to start off with relays because I guess it just brings back that team aspect that I love so much.
“You’re fighting for more than yourself, you’re fighting for your team and trying to make sure your team qualifies for the Olympics.”
Then there are the European Championships in Rome where she may run the 200m, before the Olympics where the 400m will be her sole individual target.
But she is hoping to catch some other sports in Paris after they caught her eye when she watched her first games eight years ago.
She said: “I was locked in on swimming for some reason, I didn’t watch track and field.
“I’d love to go to the aquatic centre to see what it looks like, what gymnastics looks like.
“There were some athletes in swimming and they were like 14 or 15.
“I was about 13 at the time and I was like, ‘Oh my God, they’re at the Olympics and they’re only 14, I should be at the Olympics right now’.”
l RHASIDAT ADELEKE and Israel Olatunde launched SPAR’s European Championship campaign. To win a three-day trip for two to deliver a SPAR care package to the sprint stars at the championships in Rome, send a message of support for Rhasidat and Israel. See www.spar.ie or @SPAR_Ireland on Instagram for entry details.
