Seun Adigun
Nigerian-American bobsledder and athlete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Moriam Seun Adigun ⓘ(born 3 January 1987, Chicago)[1] is a Nigerian–American chiropractor, bobsledder, and former runner who specialized in the 100 metres hurdles.
Seun Adigun in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| National team | Nigeria | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 3 January 1987 Chicago, Illinois, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | ||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Hurdles | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life and education
Adigun was born in Chicago, USA. As a child she played many sports including flag football and tennis, and participated in basketball and track and field when she was in high school. She got a scholarship to the University of Houston and participated for their women's track and field team for all four of her undergraduate years. She ended her college sports career with a bronze medal at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Adigun graduated from Houston with a degree in exercise science with a concentration in health professions and a minor in psychology. She went on to obtain a master's degree in physical education.[2] She also obtained a bachelor's degree in human biology and a doctorate in chiropractic at the Texas Chiropractic College.[3]
Sporting career
Adigun is a three-time Nigeria National Champion and two-time African Games Champion.[2][4] She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but did not qualify from her heat.[1] In 2016, she founded the Nigerian bobsled team.[4] She represented Nigeria at the 2018 Winter Olympics in two-women bobsled, becoming part of the first-ever Winter Olympians from the country.[5] Seun Adigun was the first ever African athlete who participated both in Summer and Winter Olympics.[4] Additionally, the Nigerian bobsled team that she founded was the first African team to participate in bobsled at the Winter Olympics.[6]
She has mentored high school students on behalf of the Nigerian Bobsled & Skeleton Federation since 2016. She became a Special Olympics Global Ambassador in 2018,[7] and became a member of the Special Olympics Board of Directors in 2024.[4] In 2024 she hosted a Nigerian heritage celebration with the Houston Rockets.[8]
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Nigeria | |||||
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 27th (h) | 100 m hurdles | 13.33 |
| 16th (h) | 4 × 100 m relay | 46.54 | |||
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 22nd (h) | 60 m hurdles | 8.58 |
| African Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 1st | 100 m hurdles | 13.14 | |
| Continental Cup | Split, Croatia | 6th | 100 m hurdles | 13.48 | |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 19th (sf) | 100 m hurdles | 13.14 |
| All-Africa Games | Maputo, Mozambique | 1st | 100 m hurdles | 13.20 | |
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 8th | 60 m hurdles | 8.33 |
Personal life
Seun Adigun had a sister named Amezee, nicknamed "Mae-Mae", who died in a car accident. Two of the sleds used by the Nigeria bobsled team, Maeflower 1 and Maeflower 2, were named in her honor.[9] Additionally, Adigun is a distant cousin of NBA player Hakeem Olajuwon.[10][11]
Awards and nominations
In 2018, Adigun was given the Woman of Inspiration Award by the Women In Sports & Events (WISE) group.[12] Also in 2018, she was honored as Nigerian Sports Woman of the Year at the Nigerian Sports Awards.[13] She appeared at the tenth annual iWrite Literacy Organization luncheon in 2019, where she was honored as one of seven women who "exemplify global leadership".[14]
