INTERVIEW: How God gave me victory in the face of trials – Seraph weightlifter, Kemi Latty

“I heard some people talking about me that I’m too old to win any medal again because I have been winning for my office and Oyo state both in weightlifting and Judo. What I heard then almost weakened me and I said that I would not go to that game again, but I later woke up in the midnight and talked to God….” 

At the recently held National Sports Festival, a remarkable feat was acheived by a Seraph in the person of Mrs Lawal Lateefat Oluwakemi. The 41-year-old officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps who is a lover of sport hails from Abeokuta, Ogun state. As a weightlifter, she already has series of medals in her kitty, including gold medal; even as she didn’t achieve this on a platter of gold. In this interview with Seraph Martins Adedeji, the University of Ibadan alumnus reflects on her tourtous journey to victory. Excerpts:

Acts of Seraphs: May we meet you ma?
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: My name is Lawal Lateefat Oluwakemi. A native of Abeokuta in Ogun state. I’m 41yrs old. I’m an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. I am attached to the Sports Unit, and I go to any competition under the release of my office.

Acts of Seraphs:  Could you tell us about your feat at the recently held National Sports Festival in Edo state?
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: It’s just God, because I’ve been having knee problem that made me stopped training and went for a coaching course in 2016 to start coaching work. But I wasn’t given contract as a coach and I decided to start training again. What helped me is my belief in God, as well as my church. We have a programme that holds every January (Operation 7-7) and our pastor, Mother Seyi Bakare, asked for voluntary ushers to support in that programme. Even with my bad knee, I still decided to join them. And I told God to heal my knee if I could use it to stand from night till the daybreak and God surprised me. Since then I have started full training and even when everyone did not expect anything from me, God surprises them.

Acts of Seraphs: Why the choice of weightlifting?
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: It’s one of my area brother that took me to the stadium, he said that my stature is good to do weightlifting. 

What about the medals you won at the sports festival?
Seraph Kemi Lawal: I won three silver medals in the -87 category which is among the new bodyweight categories for women. These include the Snatch Event, Clean and Jack and a total of what you carry to select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. That makes it 3 medals. I also won three gold medals at the uniform games which held in January.

Acts of Seraphs: Can you lead us into your background as a Seraph? 
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: As you can see my name, I’m a Muslim by born but I started going to C&S in the year 2008 but I was not okay with the church because of the way they did their service, so I went back to mosque. But when I came back to Ibadan again from Osogbo, I started looking for a church to attend again before I heard about my new church on radio, and God has been helping me since I joined the Sacred C/S Church Oluwamayomikun parish, Oke Itunu, Ibadan. I’m very proud and so happy to be a C/S member.

Acts of Seraphs. How did you feel about winning a medal at the National Sports Festival?
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: So excited. Though, some days before that game, I heard some people talking about me that I’m too old to win any medal again because I have been winning for my office and Oyo state both in weightlifting and Judo. What I heard then almost weakened me and I said that I would not go to that game again, but I later woke up in the midnight and talked to God. Again the very first day that we wanted to travel to Edo state all our shops where am selling drinks got burnt, I knew it was devil’s work to stop me from going, but then, I just went down to check the shop and thereafter boarded a bus to Edo. I told God to reward me with medals and he did.

Acts of Seraphs: How long have you been into sports?
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: Since when I was in secondary school (1995). Though, my dad was against it, he said that I should look for other sport, that weightlifting is not for women. So, I was to able to go to any competition because I was trying to hide my training from my dad, I will run out of school to attend training or when my dad travels. I got married in 2003 and had my only daughter the same year and that was when I was able to attend the first competition in 2004. My baby was not even up to a year then, but I was the only one that won 2 bronze medals in our team. I started the second sport (Judo) in 2005.

Acts of Seraphs: Do you see sport as a career for you?
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: I’m a civil defence officer.
Acts of Seraphs: As a female, what challenges did you encounter in sports?
Mrs Lawal Oluwakemi: The only challenge was when I was suppose to travel out of the country with the national team and they did not pick me. Later, my friends that used to travel will tell me that I must have a godfather before I can go anywhere.

Acts of Seraphs: What about the just concluded sports festival?
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: I don’t think I have any challenges, I was just too cool because of what they’ve been saying about me, that I can’t win again. The only challenges I have is when I don’t have money to get vitamins and drugs we use for training. I will just collect from my young ones.

Acts of Seraphs: How do you combine sport activities, office work and serving God?

Seraph Kemi Lawal: Everyone complains that I don’t use to rest, I will go to training in the morning, sometimes office in the afternoon. But that office is not every time because they release us for training. Since I have a business, I will open my shop for people around to watch till I will come back from training and I’m also doing my degree program in national open University. I use to attend any church programme when I am available, but I don’t joke with Sunday service.

Acts of Seraphs: What is your favourite C&S hymn?
Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: I don’t know much but I love preaching and prayers. I like this one, “a egbe mi E wa si a, Ogun Jesu fere de tan”.
Acts of Seraphs: Finally, before we go. What advice do you have for seraph aspiring to go into sports?

Seraph Lawal Oluwakemi: I will be happy to invite them into the sport, sports life is good. Our God is so powerful that He will support us and make us a winner.
Thank you for your time with Acts of Seraphs media. God bless you.