I remember so well like it was yesterday, that evening when I returned home to tell my mother that I performed so poorly at the quiz competition that I won nothing, I remember how she told me to forget about the bad day and go take my food in the kitchen.
This may sound ordinary until you realize that to register for the competition I had to pay 1,000 naira, which my mother gave me upon a minute notice the night before, this for a mother that struggles to pay my 1,200naira school fee every term(a term is 3months long), such was the depth of her belief in me.
Little however, did she know that the great faith had translated into one of the most unforgettable days for me, herself, my family and my public secondary school.
Well let me tell you what happened between the night she gave me that money and the evening I broke the sad news to her, and with just a little patience you'll see how the day became memorable.
I went to my bed after collecting the money, for I couldn't think of any other way to handle my shock at the fact that my poor mother will part with that huge amount of money, yes for my mother, parting with that money was like was like using your last savings to buy a wallet. Earlier that week, my school principal had told the school quiz team that none of us will be sponsored by the school, however, we could attend if we can fund ourselves, even though they new our parents' financial statuses.
Upon my bed, while trying to control my euphoria, some thoughts kept finding different ways to crash my little party, they were thoughts of what will happen if I don't perform well at the quiz competition the next day, I remembered how my preparation was half-hearted as I wasn't sure I'll be participating, how my school declined me participation in the annual national Cowbell Mathematics competition that I spent two years preparing for. I was actually mistaken for thinking these were my only problems, as I was quick to find out the next morning at the venue.
The Zonal quiz competition was held in my school's main hall on a bright Saturday morning in April 2007. The name of my school is Methodist Comprehensive College located in Sagamu, Ogun state, Nigeria. The competition had over 100 students in attendance, with about 75% from private secondary schools.
At this time I had participated in enough competitions to know that when prepared I can beat any private school student of my class, yes I said my class because I got to find out at the venue that against what my school had said, this wasn't a competition for just SS2 students like myself, for most schools registered their SS3 students who were already prepared for their final exams.
More so, two of these SS3 students were those I've come to know and respect from the competitions I've attended earlier, they were super good, and yes, you guessed right, they're private students.
However, I drew from every source of inspiration I could find, namely my mother's faith and the words of my English teacher, who told me on my way out of school the day before : "if you eventually participate in that competition, have it at the back of your mind that you can win". I went ahead to take the first paper tests which will be used to reduce the final participants to ten, these ten will then participate in the oral quiz
The first eight names of the ten qualifiers were called, and mine wasn't mentioned, and even the ninth name wasn't mine, but when I heard my surname starting the name of the last qualifier, all my doubts disappeared like a drop of petrol on a hot soil, especially upon knowing that only one of those two students I seriously feared made it to the final.
There were eight questions for the oral tests, all of which I got right, and the closest participant got only 7 answers right. Something notable about my last answer however, was that I saw the answer on the only page I was able to read in one of my junior colleagues current affairs note earlier that morning (there was a junior category).
I was overjoyed to have won this competition, and my late registration wasn't unnoticed by the moderator who specifically directed that my first prize of a computer set become my property and not the school's.
Obviously by now, you know I only wanted to heighten the surprise for my mother by telling her the worst possibility first, and I knew I succeeded when I saw that broad smile on her face that bore every thought she couldn't say upon telling her the truth that I won the competition. My mother must have been proud of me, but I was even more proud of her for showing such faith in me and making me know that she doesn't mind supporting my dreams even to her own detriment, I was even gladder that I was able to reward her faith.
I carry this day with me ever since, for it is my greatest source of inspiration whenever I doubt myself. I could say that I surprised even myself.
It further strengthened my belief that no limitation is an excuse for my failure, for all I need to kick-start my success are determination and self belief.
Big thanks to 
