From explosive starts to powerful finishes, Daniel Afolabi is carving out his name as one of the most promising young sprinters on the track. Specializing in the 100 meters, Daniel brings a rare blend of speed, grit, and mental fortitude that continues to set him apart. What began as a love for being the fastest kid in school has transformed into a focused pursuit of excellence, driven by faith, discipline, and the thrill of competition. With a training schedule as intense as his ambition, Daniel is not just chasing personal bests—he’s chasing greatness.

What events do you specialize in, and which one do you enjoy the most?
100m

How did you get started in track and field, and what drew you to your specific events?
Growing up I was always the fastest in my year and schools and loved being the fastest. When I was 14 the football team I played for disbanded and my PE teacher in school convinced me to get into athletics, so I began training that year and loved the rush you get from competing.

What’s a typical training week like for you in terms of sprint workouts?
The structure is normally gym on Monday, speed on Tuesday, core day on Wednesday, speed endurance on Thursday, gym on Friday, rest day Saturday, and Sunday is either a speed or speed endurance session.

What’s the most challenging part of your event, and how do you train to overcome it?
The most challenging part is keeping relaxed after a bad start. 100m athletes are always told to stay relaxed and go through the phases, but on race day it was hard for me to do. To get through it, I train with people who have a faster start than myself and go through the phases in practice so that I replicate the relaxation on race day.

What’s your toughest workout or training session—and how do you mentally get through it?
I’d say deep in winter we do 6x300m in 2 sets with 1 minute recovery between each rep and 10 minutes between sets. To get myself through it I just tell myself that this is what I prayed for and I can’t run away from the hard work. This mentality got me through last winter season and is something I do whenever I feel like giving up.

Do you have a favorite drill or technique that’s helped you improve?
I’d say wicket drills have helped me a lot with my upright sprinting. I struggle to get the cycling motion when upright sprinting, but doing wicket drills forces me to get my heel to my bum and keep my knees up when sprinting.

Describe your pre-race or pre-event routine. Any superstitions or must-haves?
I normally have a Nando’s the day before I race. Been doing it since I returned to athletics last season.

How do you handle nerves or pressure before a big meet?
I find that I thrive under pressure and the nervousness actually helps me perform better, so in a weird way I’m more excited to race when I’m nervous.

What has been your most memorable performance so far and why?
My most memorable performance was when, as an U17, I stepped up and raced in the U20 and senior England champs. Just coming off the back of high school exams, I managed to just miss out on getting through to the finals and ran a personal best. What made it the most memorable was that I was on and off training due to the exams but still performed so well, proving to me that all the winter work wasn’t in vain.

Who do you look up to in your sport, whether locally or professionally?
I’d say Trayvon Bromell. He’s been through so much hardship with injuries, yet still keeps his faith and keeps coming back stronger.

What’s one technical aspect of your event you’re really focused on improving right now?
I’m trying to just work on my raw speed right now to drop my personal best. I feel like my endurance is pretty good right now, so to take some tenths off my PB I’d need to increase my max speed.

How important is mental preparation in your events, and how do you work on it?
I just try to remind myself to have fun with it, which is why I feel excited when racing instead of succumbing to the pressure I put on myself.

Do you approach your events more with strategy or instinct? Why?
It’s more of an instinctive thing really. With strategy, it means I have to think when racing. The only thing I want to think about is reacting well and holding my form when I’m upright.

What’s your favorite track or field venue to compete at and why?
Birmingham International Athletics Track has been my favourite. I always seem to PB there, and the atmosphere at the track is electric.

What kind of music or motivation gets you hyped before competing?
I listen to whatever my spirit wants to listen to on the day. Sometimes it can be gospel, sometimes drill music, and even R&B. So I guess the music doesn’t motivate me, but it helps me stay focused when warming up.

How do your teammates or training group influence your performance?
We all push each other during training and uplift one another if someone is finding the session difficult. A group like that uplifting each other during training only means that we perform better individually during competition.

What’s your go-to recovery routine after a meet or heavy practice?
I enjoy a rolling session and sometimes a hot bath. I hate cold plunges and saw research saying they don’t really help, so I’m running with it.

How do you balance work, life, and training? Any tips?
I work full time now and it’s been very easy to be honest. When work is done, it’s completely off my mind and I pour myself into training. I also try to see my friends on the weekend so I keep the relationship with my friends off the track. I think it’s important to remember that track is something I enjoy and not who I am, so seeing friends outside of track brings me back to reality.

Outside of track and field, what are your interests or hobbies?
It might be a bit boring, but I just like chilling with my friends and watching movies or series.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your event?
I’d say as much as you want to improve and be the best, always remember to trust in God in all things and not put pressure on yourself chasing times. Focus on winning and the time will come.

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