YW Magazine: Spiking Down Obstacles

BRYANT VOLLEYBALL ALUMNAE BUNMI AKINNUSOTU FEATURED IN YW MAGAZINE

YW Magazine She Shines: Spiking Down Obstacles

By: Bunmi Akinnusotu

As a child, I was always the girl who jumped fences, ran through mud and loved competing against boys. Hoping I would become a little more "girly" and less physical, my mother enrolled me as a ballerina. She soon realized that while ballet kept me engaged, its pace was not a fit for my active and energetic personality. Through sports, I was surrounded by inspiring and incredibly respected coaches and mentors, I developed a healthy perspective what it meant to be a woman, and I gained important leadership skills that helped me become a successful woman. While I no longer jump fences and run through mud, I am still drawing on my experiences as an athlete to take me through life.

I was first introduced to the idea of being an athlete when I was 12 years old by an aunt who was an NBA fanatic. We would dream about how amazing it would be to play in the WNBA. Though I never made it to the WNBA, basketball would be my first love and the beginning of my athletic career–volleyball soon followed. In high school, Ruth "Dudy" Plante, convinced me to continue to play volleyball and invested significant amounts of resources and patience in my growth. During the summer time, I would play pick-up games or in leagues at the YWCA in Woonsocket in order to stay in shape.

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