The long-awaited third edition of 4-inch heel race competition is expected to hold in Lagos next month. In this interview with ANDREW EKEJIUBA, the chief executive officer of DAK Marketing Services Limited (the organizers), Dede Kalu, speaks on the preparations for the event. He also talked about the aims, objectives and incentives for the participants drawn from 36 states of the federation and the FCT. Excerpts:
What is heel race all about and why did you choose to delve into a sport that is very strange to many Nigerians?
Let me start by stating that heel race is a sport which I want to use to provide a platform for young Nigerian women to showcase their skills and God-given talents, because they are the future of our tomorrow. My vision for this sport is huge and it may look strange to many as you said, but I developed the interest for the sport as fallout of one major incident of an accident involving a high heel-wearing woman, who was knocked down in Lagos by a hit-and-run driver few years back.
When the incident happened, the driver zoomed off leaving the woman sprawling on the road in a hot sunny afternoon, but I stopped and joined others in helping the woman up her feet. I further assisted in taking her to hospital, which the family appreciated my kind gesture.
However, few days later I was informed by her family that the woman I assisted has passed on, which saddened my heart. However, I decided to start a heel race tourney in her memory to encourage our women to feel free to wear heeled shoes, which brings out their beauty.
Can you throw light on the upcoming competition holding in Lagos?
Yes, we are looking forward to staging a memorable heel race competition in Lagos on Saturday, November 6, 2021, for our ladies and we want to also give them a sense of belonging with the tourney. This event is aimed at empowering and enlightening young ladies on how to be smart and confident on high heels. Also, the rationale behind this event is that we are concerned about the numerous injuries ladies encounter almost on daily basis when walking on the streets or crossing the roads wearing heeled shoes. Since many ladies lack the confidence to walk smartly in heeled shoes, this has given us great concern, which made us to create this tourney to help address the issue effectively. This third edition of the competition will be a great opportunity to celebrate and close the year in grand style. As organisers, we are expecting our participants to wear four-inch heeled shoes and compete in a 100m race.
Frankly, it is going to be fun all through and the first of its kind in the country and Africa in particular. It is a glorious initiative and like I stated earlier, our company is passionate about Nigerian youths.
Also, as part of our corporate social responsibility, we would continue to advance contemporary ways to recognise, empower and celebrate our talented ladies. You know everybody cannot be footballers or indulge in combative sports like Judo, Taekwondo or Karate. So, I want to call on all Lagosians and Nigerians in general to be part of this event come November 6 at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
What actually do you intend to achieve with a heel race competition?
Many Nigerian ladies wear high-heeled shoes for fun while others find it difficult to walk smart with them. Let me state here that wearing of heels is an art and with this event, ladies will be able to strive to achieve perfect postures, poise and balance while on heeled shoes. Again, we want to re-create elegant ladies that can stylishly walk and run on heels in any situations they find themselves.
“Since many ladies lack the confidence to walk smartly on heeled shoes, this has given us great concern, which made us to create this tourney to address this issue effectively”
Also, wearing high-heeled shoes improves muscle tone and shape. It activates muscles more evenly, helps in weight loss and many more. Added to these, our other objectives are to encourage ladies on how to be smart and confident on heeled shoes; provide a platform for ladies to showcase their sprint skills; help build a culture of fitness among Nigerian ladies; empower participants and make them self-reliant by building and exposing them for brand endorsements.
What is the format for the event?
The format is simple. The 4-inch heel race competition is designed to be a 100-metre sprint competition. During the heats, participants will be grouped and they will race against themselves. The first three in each group will move to the next round till we have the finalists who will compete in the final event to determine the winner.
Can you open up on the reward system and how many contestants you are expecting for the event?
Like we have always done in the past two editions, there will be cash prizes for the first, second and third place winners and also consolation prizes for other participants in the one-day event.
Lots of the products of our sponsors will also be given out because the event is targeted at our ladies. We want to encourage them to take part in the event and feel smart, elegant and confident wearing heeled shoes in their day-to-day activities.
Frankly, we are expecting more than 100 participants from the 36 states of the federation including the FCT and it is going to be an open event.
Do you have plans for other side attractions or is the event strictly on heel race?
Of course, there will be other side attractions, but I want to state clearly that we are really excited about the 4-inch heel race competition because it will be a gathering of top-notch dignitaries, top Nollywood actors, producers and influential personalities from every facet of human endeavour that will grace the sporting event.
Having known that some participants may get injured during the one-day event, do you have provisions for First Aid?
Yes, though we have not recorded any major injury during the previous two editions, however, we have made adequate plans for First Aid services for the treatment of any injured participant. We are a caring company and would not leave anything to chance.
Finally, what are your expectations in this third edition of the event?
We expect to stage a successful 4-inch heel race tourney because we have what it takes in DAK Marketing Services Limited to stage a successful event. As an integrated marketing communications company with many years of experience in the art of online marketing, business development, radio and television programmes, advertising, marketing communication, image laundering, documentary, branding digital marketing and PR marketing, we have huge personnel to fall back on in terms of staging a memorable event Nigerians will be proud of. I want all lovers of the sport to be at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos and witness another historic event come November 6. I promise it will be a great
event.
