'Sexual assault and racism nearly ruined my Olympic dreams'

Vile abuse left Anyika Onuora suicidal, but today she's proud of her medal-winning success

- SANDRA WALSH

Anyika had a glittering athletics career, winning Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth sprint and relay medals. But her path to success was beset by racism and two horrifying sexual assaults. Here, the 37-year-old, who lives in London with boyfriend Rohan, shares her painful memories…

'In 2016, under the bright lights of the Rio stadium, I saw a sea of waving Union flags and felt the noise building as I took my place for the Olympic 4x400m relay race.

My heart was thumping. I was running the second leg but as soon as I took the baton I felt curiously calm, concentrating on every step.

Once I’d passed on the baton, I could barely watch as, with a final push, my teammate Christine Ohuruogu crossed the line in third place. Finally, after competing in three Olympics I’d won a medal!

The British crowd were cheering. I was ecstatic and didn’t want the moment to end.

Over the years I’d suffered racism and been sexually assaulted twice. I’d even attempted suicide. But moments like this made me realise why I hadn’t given up on my Olympic dream.

I was born in Liverpool to Nigerian immigrant parents and my early childhood was blissfully happy. In 1995, when I was 10, my family moved to a house in the inner-city area of Dingle and from our first day on the street, I felt the vicious hatred from a local gang of kids.

We were used to being the only Black faces, but we’d never experienced such naked hatred. My siblings and I regularly heard racist insults. Our house provided target practice for the gang’s stones and bricks, and our windows were regularly smashed. We left the house for only two reasons: to go to school or church.