Nollywood actress Antoinette Lecky popularly known as Anto Lecky talks about her amateur sports career, her love for Lebron James, the D’Tigress basketball team and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO
Did you play any sport growing up?
When I was in school, I ran and I did athletics. I ran outdoor, indoor track and cross country. I was actually the Freshman Cross Country female champion for New Jersey. I grew up in Jersey, United States.
Why didn’t you pursue athletics fully?
You know in the United States, to pursue professional sports, you have to go through the collegiate route, play for a university and from there, you’ll be picked up. So, I actually wanted to try out for our university team but I was advised by people on the team that you should only participate in collegiate sports if it is for a scholarship, that it takes so much time and energy to balance the sports and your schooling. So, unless you need to do the sports to pay for school, don’t add that extra stress to your life, and that’s why I didn’t try out for collegiate sports.
Were your parents in support of you pursuing athletics?
I think so. My mother came to a few of my races, and I think also because I grew up in the U.S. where parents understand that some people need to take sports seriously for college and that becomes what they’ll do. Generally, they were aware that sports help to build character and leadership and it allow you to become a more sociable person so I think if I was really good and I was able to explain to them that this thing can make me big money, I don’t think they would have had any issues.
Do you think you could have been an Olympian if you had pursued it?
Maybe, I don’t know. I mean I enjoyed it but I never saw myself becoming a professional athlete, I saw myself being a sports administrator but not really an athlete myself. Even when I was in school, I ran for two years, and then I started working in the sports department in the administration. I knew I enjoyed sports, working on it and watching more than being the person actually playing the sports.
What’s your favourite sport?
I am a basketball girl through and through. I don’t watch it like I used to but I still keep up as much as I can.
What’s your favourite basketball team right now?
My favourite basketball team is D’Tigress. I love the Nigerian women’s basketball team, those are my girls. I worked with them in 2017 when they won the AfroBasket. I was working for an athletic apparel company and we were the ones that provided them with their kits in 2017 when they went to Mali.
Who is your favourite sportsperson?
My favourite sportsperson is Lebron James. Everything about Lebron James, I love. We were both born in December and the year I entered middle school was the year he entered the NBA, I feel like we have a connection. I’ve seen Lebron play and because of him, I applied to the Miami Heat so many times, I was living in Florida and I would actually drive to the arena to try and meet people there who could help me get a job because of Lebron. I love Lebron James, anything he says or does; he can do no wrong in my heart. I would really love to spend time with him and his family.
Who is your favourite in the D’Tigress team?
I don’t think I have a favourite because I know them personally. I think they’re a great group of young ladies.
Would you be supportive of your kids playing in sports?
One hundred per cent, it’s a must. When I have kids, by the grace of God, I will sign them up for sports, that one is a fact, they must play something, they must play then they will decide whether they like it or not. I’m not going to force them but they will start something then they can let me know if it’s something they enjoy then we can discuss whether or not we’ll do it professionally or not. I would love for it as an option for my child to be able to use it to pay for university because I’m sure by the time we start having kids, universities will be even more expensive.
If you had a chance to do it again, would you be an athlete or you still be an actress?
I feel I would have tried to do both. Maybe try to first do athletics and see how far I’ll go with it of course, it would help me keep fit but I probably would have still wanted to go into acting.
Do you still run?
I don’t, it’s really bad. I want to get back into it, I’ve been trying but I don’t. The roads in Lagos are not stable enough to run well.