Athlete of the week: Deborah Ogayemi

Kinesiology junior Deborah Ogayemi is a forward for the UTRGV Women’s Basketball Team. She is from Waterford, Ireland, and attended Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.

Q: What do you do for fun outside of basketball?

A: “Watch Netflix, TV shows I like shopping, too. The mall, it has a variety of stuff so I like going to different stores, but I don’t have a specific store.”

Q: Who is one of your role models?

A: “My sister, role model-wise, because of her character [and] the way she carries herself. I try to follow in her footsteps, but at the same time my own footsteps. She has a big impact on my decisions and is one of my biggest supporters, as well as my family.”

Q: What motivates you?

A: “My family. They worked so hard to get me to where I am today. So everything I do, I do it for them, but also do it for myself.”

Q:  What are your career goals?

A: “My goal is to be an athletic trainer and, hopefully, continue basketball in the professional league.”

Q: How did you start playing basketball?

A: “I was 13 when I started playing basketball. It took me a while because I was doing multiple sports for a minute. When I started basketball, I liked it more. It came to a point where my parents were like, ‘You have to choose one sport. You can’t do four at a time.’”

Q: What has been your proudest moment?

A: “I would say making it to [the Irish National Team] my third year of learning how to play basketball. So I played at the age of 15 to 16 [Under-16], stopped playing for a year, then I got invited to play back for [Under-18].” 

Q: What do you like about UTRGV?

A: “One of my favorite things about UTRGV is the atmosphere. It’s so friendly and like family. Not even just on campus, but even when you go anywhere else. They’ll see you wear a UTRGV shirt and they’ll ask you questions … and immediately start a conversation.”

–Compiled by Jose Medina