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

By: Paul Kampe

Ford design and release engineer Chioma (Cici) Onyekwere Lyons hopes the second time is the charm for her as she competes in the discus throw in Paris for her native country of Nigeria. Despite qualifying for the Games in 2021, she and her nine teammates were ruled ineligible due to a team administrative error.

Onyekwere Lyons trained for five years in the lead up to Tokyo. She was ready to compete and carried a top-20 world ranking into the facilities where the Games would be played, but the error made by team leaders kept her and her 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. After returning home, she spent the weeks and months that followed wondering if she would continue the sport she had competed in since high school. She married her husband, Calvin, shortly after returning from Tokyo, and Calvin and her Ford co-workers helped her heal and pushed her continue.

“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,” she said. “I think that also helped me take the next step on getting back to the sport and pursuing my athletic career.”

The design and release engineer also threw herself into her job, 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.

“I’m lucky to have two passions I’m able to pursue. Not many people get that in their lifetime, but I’m lucky that my Ford family is so supportive of me pursuing both my dreams. I say that’s been really rewarding and really exciting to do both hand in hand.”

Between Ballerina and Powerlifter

Onyekwere Lyons, who recently celebrated her 30th birthday, is back and ready to compete in the 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 working full time while training – many of her competitors are solely dedicated to training – and 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; her 64.96-meter toss ranked her No. 22 in the world, 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. She’s 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

She is more established in her Ford career today than she was in 2021, which has helped her balance training with her work, but being a world-class athlete necessitates a rigid schedule reminiscent of her college days as an All-Big Ten selection at the University of Maryland. She 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 but she was recently able to take a leave from Ford to help her focus on competition.

“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. 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.

“Shortly after the Tokyo Games, I was questioning if I was going to come back to the sport or just call it quits because I was really heartbroken."

"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.

“I’ve had a lot of young high school girls message me on Instagram or TikTok and say like, ‘Hey, you’ve really inspired me to throw or all the tips that you have on your social media really help me,’ so it’s been really rewarding and made it seem much bigger than myself.”

The Calm Before the Storm

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

“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 the team for the second time, so I’ll say I’ve done pretty well for myself.”

Onyekwere Lyons will compete in the women’s discus qualifying on Aug. 2, at 12:55 p.m. EST or 2:20 p.m. EST. The final for the women’s discus event is on Aug. 5, at 2:30 p.m. EST. You can watch the event on NBC, Peacock and the NBC Sports app.

She recently shared a LinkedIn post thanking her supporters:

“As the Summer Olympics are only days away, I am thankful of my coworkers and friends at Ford Motor Company for cheering me on as I prepare for my second Olympic Games in Paris! It has not easy being a professional athlete and a full-time engineer, but I’m grateful for another opportunity to keep chasing the Olympic Dream.”