Nigerian-American footballer Michelle Alozie is gearing up for a summer that could define both her athletic and scientific careers. The 27-year-old defender, recently named to Nigeria’s Olympic roster, is set to make her Olympic debut in Paris while simultaneously pursuing groundbreaking cancer research.
Alozie, who plays professionally for the Houston Dash in the NWSL, expressed her excitement about Nigeria’s return to the Olympic stage: “The Olympics would be insane! To put it into perspective, the Nigerian team hasn’t made it to the Olympics since 2008. Although we’ve made it to every World Cup, it’s the Olympics that seems to hinder us a bit for some reason.”
The Yale graduate’s journey to this point has been anything but conventional. After struggling to find a professional team, Alozie took matters into her own hands.
“I sent them an email just asking for an opportunity,” she recounted, describing how she secured her position with the Dash. “It was about believing in myself, taking a chance on myself, and allowing them to see my potential.”
Alozie’s determination extends beyond the soccer field. When she’s not training or competing, she works as a cancer research technician at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center.
“We work on chemotherapies and see how these different cancers are able to resist these chemotherapies,” Alozie added. “We try to figure out the best ways to give these chemotherapies in conjunction with another or just by themselves, and how they’ll be able to eradicate these patients’ cancers.”
This dual pursuit of athletic and scientific excellence is rooted in Alozie’s Nigerian heritage. “The work ethic. That’s a really good stereotype that Nigerians have,” she said. “They will work tirelessly and endlessly to get what they want. I think that I have done that throughout my scholastic career and also now in my professional career.”
Representing Nigeria on the international stage holds deep significance for Alozie. “It is literally everything!” she exclaimed. “It didn’t hit me until I got my call-up in 2021. I remember calling my parents and letting them know, and they were just so shocked and having all my uncles and aunts call me. It was just so surreal.”
Looking ahead to Paris, Alozie sees an opportunity to showcase the progress of African soccer. “After having such an amazing run in the World Cup, to be able to put on a performance again in the Olympics would be amazing!” she said. “It would just show the gap that is closing between what everyone says is the best soccer—[teams] from Europe or the Americas—and show that African soccer is really closing that gap.”
Alozie’s Olympic dreams are intertwined with her scientific aspirations. She still plans to pursue a career in cardiology after her soccer career concludes. “I’ll be 30-something in med school but that’s just what it will have to take,” she said, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to both fields.
As the Paris Olympics approach, Alozie embodies the Nigerian spirit she so proudly represents. “There’s a saying ‘Naija no dey carry last,'” she explained. “It means regardless of what we’re doing or what situation we’re in, we will not be trampled. You will never catch us slipping. Nigeria will always come prideful.”
Note: Story adapted from interview on NBC Sports
