Al Pacino, playing Tony Montana in Scarface, famously said: "The eyes, chico, they never lie."  

Pacino’s classic line could easily describe the fierce determination of Nigerian paddlers Beauty Akinaere Otuedo and Ayomide Bello Powei. 

When Otuedo and Powei look at you, their eyes stare into your soul. Recalling their canoeing journey, their voices reveal the hardships they've faced. Wearing Nigeria’s green, the duo exhibit contrasting yet complementary characters — Powei, the articulate spokesperson, and Otuedo, a silent strength. 

At 22, Powei is already competing in her second Olympic Games, while the 26-year-old Otuedo will debut in Paris 2024. Both hail from fishing families, with Powei's remarkable birth story symbolising their deep connection to the water. 

“I was born in a boat,” Powei said.  

“While my mother was pregnant with me and when it was time for me to come out, she was paddling home and there was no one around. That day, along with many fish, there was a little baby.” 

Powei clearly recalls her first taste of paddling. She said: “When I was eight, my sister introduced me to canoeing. At first, I was reluctant but then I tried it out, I was like: ‘wow’. I knew since then that I wanted to reach the top and reach the Olympic level.” 

Otuedo thanks her brother for her entry into the sport and faced a challenging break from 2015 to 2018 but returned rejuvenated. 

“It was a difficult period, but once I started training again, I knew I wanted to reach the top,” Otuedo said. 

After meeting at a national sprint championship, where the two of them competed for the state of Bayelsa, Otuedo and Powei decided to team up. However, their journey has been far from easy.  

Funding training has been a constant problem and Ottuedo has been working as a nurse to sponsor herself while Powei works at a salon.   

“We both come from different places and it was very difficult to train together. For Paris 2024 preparations, we moved to Abuja for training. The Government is funding us for this and other major competitions,” Powei said.  

After competing in two International Canoe Federation World Cups in Krakow and Szeged earlier this year, Ottuedo and Powei thanked Sebastian Cuattrin, the Brazilian Olympian and ICF Global Lead for Flatwater, who helped them in crucial moments.  

At Paris 2024, Ottuedo and Powei finished fifth in the women's canoe double 500m quarter-final, qualifying for the Final B scheduled for August 9.

Having competed in the Olympic stage, they wanted to let other girls in their country know that anything is possible with hard work and sacrifice.  

“With God on your side, everything is possible. If you desire something and work hard, it is achievable,” Powei said. 

She added: “When they talk about sports in Nigeria, it is mostly athletics and football. We wanted to change that. We wanted to make a difference. We wanted canoeing to be discussed in the same way as the other sports. That is the aim for us. 

“I want to make my country proud and make them talk about canoeing.”