An Agricultural Olympian
Friday, December 17, 2021
Media Contact: Samantha Siler | Communications and Marketing Manager | 405-744-2977 | samantha.siler@okstate.edu
Excitement fills the stadium as athletes enter. Music, bright lights and every color of clothing you can imagine appears as each country joins the Parade of Nations. Flag bearers lead their groups, walking through the arena of emotion-filled spectators at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Among the flag bearers is Angelika Ouedraogo, a 27-year-old athlete who studies biosystems engineering in the Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture.
Ouedraogo also served as a closing ceremony flag bearer for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Games. She has competed in the Olympics three times as a freestyle swimmer.
“Walking into the stadium as a flag bearer when they called my country’s name was something I’ll never forget,” Ouedraogo said. “It makes you realize that what’s happening is true. It was a lot of emotion.”
Ouedraogo is from Burkina Faso, West Africa. She began swimming as a hobby when she was 6 and became more serious about it at age 12 when she started entering national competitions, Ouedraogo said.
Ouedraogo competed in the 50-meter women’s freestyle competition each time. She placed 58th in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 67th in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and 63th in the 2012 London Olympics.
“Competing with the best athletes in the world can be scary,” Ouedraogo said. “It was amazing and exciting but scary at the same time.”
She completed her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at a college in Burkina Faso and then received her master’s degree in applied engineering with a focus on biofuels from the University of Georgia in 2020. She is now on her way to earning her doctorate at OSU.
“When I interviewed her for the doctoral program, I was really impressed with her enthusiasm for research projects and learning new things,” said Ajay Kumar, biosystems engineering professor. “Now that she’s here, I can tell you she is a very talented and dedicated student. She does a lot of detailed work in a timely manner, and that takes responsibility.”
As part of her doctoral studies, Ouedraogo works on a research project to develop a unit that turns waste into electricity, Kumar said. For example, the City of Stillwater could collect its garbage and dump it into the system to be turned into a gas and produce electricity, Kumar said.
“The ultimate goal of this project is to reduce waste in landfills and create more electricity, but there are a lot of things that have to play out before the system can run by itself,” Kumar said.
Ouedraogo wanted to come to the U.S. to learn more about renewable energy, she said.
“Where I’m from, electricity is a luxury,” Ouedraogo said. “I want to be able to contribute to that area, so that’s why I’m really interested in this field.”
Ouedraogo visits her family once a year in Burkina Faso, she said. She was not able to go last year because of the pandemic, but she went right after the 2020 Olympics.
She just finished her first year of the program and is scheduled to graduate with her doctoral degree in 2023, Kumar said.
The Ferguson College of Agriculture has a long history of attracting international students, Kumar added.
Ones like Ouedraogo really impact the whole world, said Kirsten Hoffman, Ouedraogo’s swim coach.
“Angelika is as passionate about her schoolwork as she is swimming,” Hoffman said. “She is definitely here first and foremost for her education.”
Ouedraogo has learned to have excellent time management while training for the Olympics and being a doctoral student, Hoffman said.
She likes the structure of having to make time to train and get her work done, Hoffman added.
Ouedraogo said her favorite part about OSU is the people.
“Everybody is always there to help you,” Ouedraogo said. “I love the people here. Being so far away from my home and family, it’s comforting to have people be so nice and friendly all the time.”
When training, Ouedraogo spends at least 20 hours a week at the pool or gym, Hoffman said. She is there five or six days a week working on her technical skills, endurance and power, Hoffman added.
Now, Ouedraogo is taking a break from training to focus on her schoolwork, but she plans on continuing her swimming career when she graduates, she said.
“My favorite thing about Angelika is that she’s just a normal person,” Hoffman said. “When she came to me asking about a place to swim, she never mentioned she was an Olympic athlete. She was so humble and gracious.”
Ouedraogo helps newer swimmers in her free time at the King Marlin Swim Club’s Stillwater training site, Hoffman said. The club’s main location is in Oklahoma City.
She never has to be asked, and she doesn’t get compensated for her time, yet she always shows up to support the younger kids, Hoffman added.
“She is exactly what you’d look for in a role model,” Hoffman said. “She is so helpful and encouraging to the younger kids, all while being humble about her own experiences.”
At this year’s Olympics, Ouedraogo came back with pins for each of the kids at the swim club, Hoffman said.
“She called me from the Olympic Village and asked how many pins to get for the kids as well as my T-shirt size,” Hoffman said. “She has the biggest heart and has made such a huge impact on the kids at the club.”
Ouedraogo wants to stay in the U.S. and pursue a job in research as well as continue her swimming career, whether that be for hobby or competition, she said.
“It would be nice to stay here and have more experiences,” Ouedraogo said. “There are more opportunities, more methods and more techniques in the U.S., and I want to learn more.”
Story By: Kelsee Smith | Cowboy Journal