*Happy birthday Mother 🌹🌹🌹 24/07/2017 08:31 AM I remember so vividly the first swimming competition I participated in. I was young, green, and had only been swimming for fun but she insisted I do it. Made me do it. I remember standing on the diving board, my heart racing, pulse speeding, fervently saying my prayers. I didn't want to lose, I didn't like to lose and if I did, I remember thinking that it would be because of her. The whistle blew and I jumped into the water, my tears mixed with the chlorinated liquid of the pool. I swam for my life all the while imagining *her* face in my mind, my goal, the finish line. Then the words she'd said to me earlier flashed through my mind, "Whether you win or lose, you'll always be my champion" and they spurred me on to the finish line to claim my gold medal. I remember again, at the Lagos State Triathlon, the laps of cycling, running had already taken its toll on the competitors and it was time for the swimmin