The CLIMM Track and Field Foundation celebrated the 80th birthday of former Nigerian sprinter Armelia Edet Effiong over the weekend. The event took place during the recent CLIMM Southeast U-16 Track and Field Championship at the Umuahia Township Stadium, which aims to discover new talents in the Southeast region of Nigeria.

Born in 1944, Edet was a prominent member of the Nigerian team at the 1967 Nigeria/Ghana Sports Festival in Accra, where she won a bronze medal in 100 meters. She also earned bronze at the inaugural African vs. USA meet in North Carolina, represented Nigeria at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, and secured a silver medal at the second All African Games in Lagos in 1973. Her Olympic journey included participation in the 1972 Games in Munich, followed by the 1974 African vs. USA Games in Dakar and the 1975 Nigeria/Ghana Sports Festival in Lagos.

Transitioning to coaching, Edet guided Nigerian teams to numerous successes at the Olympic Games, including Los Angeles in 1984, Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996, and Sydney in 2000. She also led teams to medal victories at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990 and Melbourne in 2006, and participated in the All African Games in Abuja in 2003 and Algiers in 2007. Additionally, she coached Nigerian teams at the IAAF World Championships in Edmonton in 2001 and Paris in 2003.

Throughout her career, Edet has received numerous accolades, including the Coach of the Year award from the Confederation of African Athletics in 2005 and the IAAF Veterans Pin in 1999. Starting her coaching career in 1982 as a Grade 2 Track and Field Coach, she advanced to the position of Chief Coach in 1999, serving in that role until her retirement in 2006.