Nneka Okpala (born 27 April 1988) is a New Zealand athlete. She competes mainly in the triple jump.[1][2] She has won the New Zealand women's triple jump competition five times and the Australian women's triple jump title once.[3][4]

Okpala's parents emigrated from Nigeria to New Zealand in 1987, and Okpala was born in Ōtāhuhu, Auckland the following year.[5] She joined the Papatoetoe Athletics Club when she was 6 years old, and when she was 15 she started competing in the triple jump.[6] Two years later she represented New Zealand at the 2005 IAAF World Youth Championships in Morocco.[3] The same year, she also represented New Zealand at the Sydney Youth Games.[1]

In 2015, she competed for New Zealand at the World University Games in Korea, finishing eighth in the triple jump,[3] while studying at Monash University, Melbourne.[7] Additionally in 2015, Okpala won the Essendon Athletics Club Athlete of the Year award and was named the Monash University Female Athlete of the Year.[6]

Okpala graduated from Monash University with a master's degree in international health.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Nneka Okpala | New Zealand Olympic Team". New Zealand Olympic Team. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "Profile of Nneka OKPALA | All-Athletics.com". www.all-athletics.com. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 "Athletics: Okpala siblings making noise in triple jumping". NZ Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Athlete Nneka Okpala on why she loves Flemington". The Weekly Review. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  5. ↑ Maduewesi, Christopher (8 March 2016). "Nneka Okpala extends her New Zealand Triple Jump NR!". Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Monash University's Female Athlete of the Year for 2015". teammonash.blogspot.co.nz. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  7. ↑ New Zealand, Massey University. "Big Massey presence in New Zealand's World Uni Games team - Massey University". www.massey.ac.nz. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Dual Triple Jump Success for Monash University at Nationals!". teammonash.blogspot.co.nz. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
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