History-making Nigerian Olympian Simidele Adeagbo is taking on a new challenge: piloting a two-woman bobsled. She continues in monobob, which she has done for several years and in which she recently made her World Cup debut. She and brakewoman Kewe King are working toward qualifying for the World Cup in the 2-woman division.
“The driving is slightly different,” said Adeagbo, who competed in skeleton in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, which marked Nigeria’s first appearance in the Winter Olympics. “You’re in a heavier sled. There are two of you and the mechanics of driving are a little bit different, but overall, more piloting experience is a good thing.”
Adeagbo and King debuted in two European Cup races in 2024. Earlier this season, they made history as the first Nigerian two-woman team to earn a medal finish in the North America Cup races in Park City, Utah. King is a former track and field athlete of Nigerian heritage, raised in the United Kingdom.
“It’s great to have a teammate, that feeling of ‘we’re in this together,’” said Adeagbo. “We’re still relatively new to it, still trying to learn a lot. Even loading into a two-person sled versus a monobob sled is something that I’m learning — the timing, the rhythm, and being in sync as a team. We’re getting up to speed as quickly as we can.
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“I do want to acknowledge that we have some very talented athletes that are based in Nigeria that also are ready, willing, hungry to be part of the sport, and we want to continue to bring them in as much as we can as well,” she added. Bobsled is an expensive sport to pursue, particularly the equipment.
At 43, Adeagbo is achieving both on and off the ice track. “There is more history to be made,” she said. Last month, she made her World Cup debut in monobob, a first for Nigeria. “Every step motivates me.”
She also continues to impact women’s sports with her Simi Sleighs Foundation. Friday, Feb. 7, is the deadline to apply for this year’s Athlete Grant Program. Among the 2024 cohort was Olympian Helen Maroulis. Paralympian Tatyana McFadden was a grant recipient in 2023.
“Through my presence on the ice, I can continue to also shine a light on those things that matter to me…like empowering women and girls through sport,” she said. “I’m going to continue to give those things I care about visibility.”