Tunde Onakoya- The Power of the Mind.

In the past 72 hours, the attention and thoughts of a huge swathe of Nigerians were fixed like a flint towards the concrete jungle that is called New York, a name given to the city by the English in honor of the Duke of York, but was originally called New Netherlands. In Midtown Manhattan lies a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, and entertainment hub called Times Square, also getting its name due to the relocation of the New York Times to the location. This bow tie-shaped plaza filled with brightly lit digital billboards and advertisements, boasting of the world’s busiest pedestrian areas and undoubtedly one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, was the venue set for the epic battle of the subject of this article- The power of the Mind and the protagonist a young African role model.?

Enter Tunde Onakoya a 30-year-old Nigerian chess player and coach, whose sole mission is to empower a generation of children in the backwaters of society through Chess, through his organization Chess in Slums, he has from this humble position influenced the lives of thousands of young children unlocking their potentials through Chess and still acquiring basic literacy skills. When Tunde announced his intention to break the World Chess Marathon, it was indeed befitting that he chose the center of a 24-hour city that never sleeps, to remind the world of those whose lives remain awake in impoverished communities across the African continent, robbed of the basics for survival.?

I knew that there would be one major obstacle to this commendable feat and that would be the mind. You must understand in the book title of Joyce Meyer’s famous best-seller, the “Battle Field of the Mind”, every challenge and quest is first won in the mind before physically manifested, hence the advocacy for individuals to strengthen their mental fortitude to get ahead in life.

I have had the opportunity to visit Times Square and even in April with dropping temperatures, it was the perfect colosseum for a battle between the body and mind, nestled under several thick Jackets, Sweaters, and scarves, Tunde was sniffing away intermittently and betraying the occasional chills, it is by no stretch of the imagination possible to belittle this feat, it would have been physically and mentally grueling, robbing the body of sleep, much-needed vitamins, playing one of the most mentally tasking games on the planet, consecutively for days, the only place to draw strength from would be the mind. He definitely would have wanted to give up, we have all been there, in occasions of difficulty the body gives up first and when the mind throws in the towel, the end is inevitable.?

Viewing from a live stream, I could see his sunken eyes hidden in a fixed demeanor, likened to that of a warrior and his thick mustache and beard, this young Nigerian understood he was carrying the hopes of millions and also inspiring another generation of possibilities that exist when you put your mind to an endeavor that is bigger than you, while serenaded by Nigerians who are notorious for celebrating their own, the melodious songs, Nigerian Jollof meals, and the noisy Times Square background filled with inquisitive tourists gave him some distraction.

But the biggest cheerleaders were in his mind, Tunde braved the odds and with the support of millions of voices cheering him in his mind, though silent to the hundreds around him with their mobile phones to capture a piece of history, he set the global Guinness Book of Records with a 60 hour non-stop game and raised awareness for his $1m goal for children’s education.

While resilience, self-belief, and ingenuity borrow the phrase in the congratulatory message of the nation's president, what he has displayed is an unusual ability to tap into the power of the human mind to reach heights, achieve impossibilities, a super strength you, and I possess, if we are only ready to harness.

Congratulations Tunde thank you for the inspiration, take off your Fila and take a bow.

#gwr

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