| Intro | Nigerian long jumper, hurdler, high jumper and sprinter |
| Is |
Runner Athlete Long jumper Hurdler High jumper Sprinter |
| From | Nigeria |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | female |
| Birth |
15 May 1942, Delta State, Nigeria |
| Age | 78 years |
| Star sign | Taurus |
Violet Obiamaka Odogwu-Nwajei is a former Nigerian track and field athlete. She is a former president of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria and a Vice-President of the Confederation of African Athletics.
Life
Early life
Odogwu was born in Asaba, Delta State. she started education in the city before moving to Lagos where she completed her secondary education.
In the 1950s, Violet and her sister Juliet ran for the Ladies Sports Club. In 1958, she represented Nigeria at the 1958 Commonwealth Games. Her progressive performance at the event earned her a ‘Sports Woman of the Year’ award. After the games, she continued with her studies taking courses on secretarial studies. In 1963, she went back to athletics and represented Nigeria at the first All-African Games in the 80m hurdle.
Odogwu was a member of the Nigerian contingent to the 1966 Commonwealth Games, Kingston. At the Kingston games, she earned a bronze medal jumping 20 feet, 2-1/2 inches in the long jumb event to become the first female African medalist at the Commonwealth Games.
In 1968, she captained the Nigerian women athletics team to the 1968 olympics. She did not win a medal but was a finalist in long jump She was a bronze medalist at the Little Olympics, held a year earlier in preparation for the main event.