Competing for Nigeria for the first time in 1958, 16-year-old star athlete, Violet Odogwu, was still a schoolgirl, known as the "baby of the team" at the Cardiff Games. Her promising career was nearly derailed in 1959 by a serious knee injury that kept her out of competition for four years. A correct diagnosis in 1963 reignited her ambitions, leading her back to Nigeria to revive her career on the track.

Three years later, she became the first African woman to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games, claiming bronze in the long jump in Jamaica. In 1968, she captained the Nigerian women's athletics team at the Olympics, where she reached the long jump final.