‘My Husband Is My Backbone’ — Folashade Fights Back Tears After Record-Breaking Gold

For Nigeria’s Folashade Oluwafemiayo, the roar of victory in Glasgow was never going to be about her alone.

Moments after lifting a staggering 134.8kg world record to retain her women’s heavyweight para powerlifting Commonwealth title, the Nigerian champion fought back emotions as she dedicated the golden triumph to the family she says has been her greatest source of strength.

Her husband was thousands of miles away, but his voice, encouragement and belief in her ability were firmly in her heart as she stood on the podium at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

“My husband is not here, but he is my backbone,” an emotional Oluwafemiayo told news247.ng after her record-breaking performance.

“He has been the one encouraging me, pushing me. He always tells me, ‘You can do it, my wife.’ So I thank him very well. I am very, very delighted.”

Her words revealed the deeply personal story behind another extraordinary achievement by one of Nigeria’s most decorated para athletes.

Oluwafemiayo produced a sensational performance to win gold and set a new world record with her 134.8kg lift, leading a memorable Nigerian one-two finish alongside compatriot Rita Ferdinand, who claimed the silver medal.

But while the weight on the bar was immense, the emotional weight carried by the champion was perhaps even greater.

Behind every training session, every painful lift and every moment of doubt, Oluwafemiayo said, was the support of her husband and children, whose prayers and encouragement have helped fuel her remarkable career.

For her, the formula for success goes beyond physical strength.

“Passion is one of it. When you have passion, resilience and you have faith in your work, I believe there’s nothing you cannot do. You get what you want,” she said.

The Nigerian champion also credited hard work, relentless training and determination for the country’s remarkable dominance in women’s para powerlifting at the Games.

“It’s passion, training and resilience,” she said simply.

Yet, after the cheers, medals and record-breaking celebration, Oluwafemiayo’s thoughts quickly turned homewards.

Her first celebration was not going to be a lavish party or a long night of festivities.

It was going to be a phone call to the man she described as her backbone.

“My husband is waiting for me. I’m going to call him. He’s very happy at home, and my kids have been praying, ‘Mommy, go there and bring the gold.’ So I’m very, very happy,” she added.

Those words captured the heart of her Glasgow triumph.

While Oluwafemiayo carried Nigeria’s hopes onto the competition platform, her children carried her in their prayers from home.

The champion spoke with particular affection about them, recalling a touching conversation she had with her youngest child before competing.

“They are very, very lovely kids. This morning when I called, the little one was telling me, ‘Mommy, go there…’”

The sentence may have been unfinished, but the message was clear: go, compete and come home with gold.

And she did exactly that.

With the encouragement of her family ringing in her ears, Oluwafemiayo once again demonstrated the extraordinary strength that has made her one of Nigeria’s para-sport icons.

Her latest Commonwealth triumph was therefore more than another medal and another record.

It was a victory shared with a husband who kept believing, children who kept praying and a family that stood behind her through the sacrifices required to compete at the highest level.

And when the weight of 134.8kg rose above her head in Glasgow, Oluwafemiayo did not lift it alone.

She lifted it for Nigeria, her husband and the children waiting at home, praying for their “Mommy” to bring the gold.