‘I’m Betting on Myself’: Ford Engineer Overcomes Tokyo Disappointment

Chioma (Cici) Onyekwere Lyons trained for five years in the lead up to the Games in Tokyo in 2021, where she was set to compete for her native country of Nigeria. She carried a top-20 world ranking into the facilities where the games would be played, but an administrative error made by team leaders kept her and nine teammates on the sidelines after years of preparation and anticipation.  

The Nigerian athletic federation accepted responsibility for the oversight, but Onyekwere Lyons, who was 26 at the time, was left wondering what could have been in Tokyo, for which she trained for five years. She spent the weeks and months that followed wondering if she would continue with the sport in which she had competed in since high school. Having been recently married, she was also uplifted by both her spouse and Ford co-workers who helped her heal following the disappointment at the Games. 

“They took some time to talk to me a little bit and ask me how I was feeling, just making sure that I was OK, and I was really appreciative of that,” Onyekwere Lyons said. “I think that also helped me take the next step on getting back to the sport and pursuing my athletic career.”

The former Ford College Graduate also threw herself into her work as a design and release engineer, which most recently had her working on the exterior lighting for the all-new Ford F-150. Onyekwere Lyons takes great pride when she sees a vehicle on the streets that she has helped bring to life. 

Between ballerina and powerlifter

Onyekwere Lyons, who recently celebrated her 30th birthday, is back, ready to compete in the Paris Games. She is ranked No. 1 in Africa in women’s discus throw and she won the event at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Onyekwere Lyons had, until recently, continued training while working full time – many of her competitors are solely dedicated to training – while traveling throughout the U.S. and Africa for various meets in order to maintain her ranking. She improved on her personal best from 2021 by more than 1.5 meters, with her 64.96-meter toss ranking her No. 22 in the world, and making her the Nigerian and African record holder. 

“I think the setback in Tokyo was really heartbreaking, but it made me a lot stronger than what I was in 2021,” she said. “I’m coming with a lot more confidence when I step into the circle about my capability and where I belong, and I’m just more determined because you never know when you’ll be taking your last throw or really just competing, so I’m really just taking the time to really appreciate every single moment I have.”

After seeing great gains while training solo in 2021 due to restrictions related to the COVID pandemic, Onyekwere Lyons has been training even more aggressively for Paris, correcting any remnants of bad technique that might be lingering, as she competes in a sport that requires her to blend the grace of a ballerina with the force of a power lifter.  

“I’m really just betting on myself to try and get the best performance I possibly can,” she said.

Work-life-work balance

While she is more established in her Ford career today than she was in 2021, which has helped her balance training with her work, being a world-class athlete necessitates a rigid schedule reminiscent of her college days at the University of Maryland, where she was an All-Big Ten selection. Onyekwere Lyons, who recently went on leave from Ford to help her focus on competition, had been squeezing in training by lifting weights before work and practicing her throwing at Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn, near Ford’s campus, after work.

“It’s been a lot harder this upcoming year, but I think that’s also one of the reasons why I took sabbatical leave just so I can get really dialed-in, because it was getting a bit tough to do the work-life balance while training to compete at such an elite level,” she said.

Support from home

Onyekwere Lyons might not be in the office, but her Ford teammates have already scheduled a watch party for the Games. Many of them have also purchased her merchandise to show their support. The relationship is a two-way street. Onyekwere Lyons said she feels like she is representing everyone who has ever supported her since she first picked up a discus.

“I’m glad I took the initiative to come back and just rebuild my love for the sport because as much as I’m representing Nigeria, I’m also representing my community and the people who have supported me throughout my track and field career.”

She’s also found a niche as a mentor for younger track and field athletes.

“That’s probably been the most rewarding thing since Tokyo,” Onyekwere Lyons said. 

The calm before the storm

Onyekwere Lyons, who is one in a set of triplets, had a much more low-key birthday celebration than her siblings. While her brother visited Brazil and her sister traveled to the vineyards of Palm Springs, Onyekwere Lyons had returned early from the African Championships in Cameroon. She stayed home with her husband, Calvin, and her dog, Kuvira, a Pomeranian mix. 

“It was a very chill birthday,” she said. “I do have a little FOMO because my siblings got to celebrate it big, but my birthday present to myself is making my second Olympic team, so I’ll say I’ve done pretty well for myself.”