Coming Home
Danielle Alakija, Westlake local, can now call herself an Olympian. Just two days ago on August 3, she competed in round one of the Women’s 400m, finishing sixth for the Fiji track and field team with a time of 56.77. Though she did not qualify for the next round, Danielle can certainly feel proud of herself for competing at the Olympics, a place so many athletes work towards but rarely reach. Her achievement is especially remarkable considering she is only sixteen years old and among the very youngest competitors at the Games. You may be wondering what a young lady currently living in Westlake Village is doing running for Fiji, a country thousands of miles away. Before making the move to SoCal, Danielle and her family lived in Fiji for fourteen years! And in what seems like a story line that could only come from fiction, Ms. Alakija was actually born in the same city in which she just made her Olympic debut, London. It’s as if Danielle’s destiny came full circle as she returned to the place she first entered into this world to give her very first performance in the Olympic Games. Congrats, Danielle, and we certainly anticipate your return to the track in 2016!
--Bailee Ahern
