A day after competing at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Chierika Ukogu arrived at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to begin her medical training. Ms. Ukogu, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Nigeria, participated in the women’s single scull rowing event for the Nigerian Olympic team. She did not win a medal, but she did rank among the top finishers. A native of Philadelphia, Ms. Ukogu took up rowing in high school and was a standout rower at Stanford University. She postponed medical school for two years to train for the Olympics, while also working at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania helping pregnant women. Ms. Ukogu says spreading the word about the importance of competitive sports is her way of inspiring others, and she hopes to continue training and competing. She is considering trying out for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
