“Beyond Olympic Glory”: Shedrack Salami Wants Us to Be Compassionate Towards Others

From the onset, Shedrack Salami, the director of Beyond Olympic Glory, saw beyond a documentary about sport and sport-related topics when he decided to tell the story of Cynthia Ogunsemilore. In Cynthia’s journey as a female boxer, Salami was reminded of the realities, structural challenges and limitations Nigerian youths have to overcome to move closer to their dreams. The director also saw a story of survival, resilience and a woman making herself seen in a space that wasn’t built for people like her. Cynthia’s indigent background, which Salami found relatable, further propelled him to take on the responsibility of telling her story From that humble resolution, the documentary has gone on to screen at iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival, Power24 International Film Festival in Durban, South Africa, and Janakpur International Film Festival where it was nominated as the semi-finalist for the festival’s international panorama category in the Best Short Documentary category. It won Best Documentary Award at Hollywood African Cinema Connection and was recently selected for the Filmjoint 2025 Premiere.  

Originally, Beyond Olympic Glory was pitched to funders and possible producers, at the 2024 edition of the Sunny Side of the Doc in La Rochelle, France, as a success story. Then, the working title was From Slum to Olympic Glory and it was meant to track the story of Cynthia, as a young woman from the slums of Bariga, on her journey to the Olympics. The intent was to document Cynthia’s story from the training rings to qualifying to represent Nigeria at the Olympic, and competing at the Olympic ring. That all these happened for Cynthia was already a success story regardless of the outcome. But, things quickly changed, not just for Cynthia but for the direction of the documentary when, upon arriving in Paris for the Olympics, a doping scandal hit. “This shifted the entire direction of the film. As a director it broke me, but I had to adapt. It was a really tough moment, because everything we had envisioned started to fall apart quickly. But I knew I still had a story to tell, maybe even a more powerful one,” Salami recounted. 

Salami’s directorial instincts helped during post-production because he had lived through the turbulent emotional period. This informed what needed to be kept and how to restructure the whole film so it still felt honest. Extending gratitude to his mentor, Louise Monlau and post-production supervisor Khalid Shamis who guided him through the process, he was able to stay true to the story. “The change wasn’t expected, but I’m proud of how we shaped it in the end. The whole change might have contributed to what gave the film its heart,” he concluded. 

Salami is a technically equipped director with knowledge in cinematography, editing and other technical areas. This knowledge came handy in the making of Beyond Olympic Glory. As an indie filmmaker with limited funds to hire a full crew, a guerilla filmmaking approach was the best bet. Also, his subjects’ comfort was a priority. As the director shared, the two-man film crew helped bring a level of intimacy to the set. “Directing and filming her along with my sound guy, Otobong Edet, made things much easier, it helped maintain that closeness, she felt safe, trusted me more and was willing to share her story.” 

Editing the documentary was personal because being the director and cinematographer, Salami felt he was the best person to help shape its tone including leaning into color grading, one of his key strengths, to elevate the visuals. Artistically, this process brought out the best in Salami as it afforded him the privilege to become an  artist who values quality. While he found the experience challenging, it also forced him to be creative and conscious of the limited resources in his disposal. Emotionally, the documentary was overwhelming during post-production. “Watching her journey from the slum to the Olympics and then facing a huge disappointment really broke me at times and that was hard to carry.”

The documentary was specifically about Cynthia’s story. But, as her story unfolds, it’s noticeable how the Nigerian system and lack of infrastructural support for Nigerian athletes inhibited her progress. While Salami didn’t set out to tell a story about this systemic injustice athletes and Nigerians face, it seamlessly found  its way into the story. It became clear that Cynthia’s story couldn’t be separated from the system. “The silence of the federation, the media backlash and the pressure she faced are all part of a bigger problem. I didn’t have to spell it out. The system revealed itself through her experience. So yes, in the end, the film does reflect those systematic injustices and flaws, but they came through naturally, not by force.”

Nigerian professional Chess Player and founder of Chess in Slum, Tunde Onokoya has been vocal about the parental support he received when he decided to pursue a career path in Chess despite it being an unorthodox path. Cynthia’s parents, despite their lack of knowledge about boxing and its financial potential, have been supportive. They can’t provide monetary support but their emotional support and encouragement shines through. In parts of the documentary, we see Cynthia’s father proudly talking about his daughter’s boxing prowess. In another, we see him going through the list of gold medals his daughter has won in her boxing career. In another, Cynthia’s mother recounts how she often places her daughter’s travel and matches in God’s hand. Their support might seem ordinary but in a country where children of working-class parents are expected to become their parents’ saviour, it is commendable and worth emulating. “I saw myself in Cynthia as one who is also following a non-traditional path where people love you but don’t completely understand what you’re doing. Cynthia’s parents showed love in the way they could, and that means a lot. It’s not always about perfect support, but about showing up in the way you know how. I’ve had people who believed in me before they understood me and that kind of belief can carry you through doubt.”

Beyond Olympic Glory is still touring the world and winning awards, but the director hopes viewers who watch the documentary will feel more compassion for athletes, for women and people who fight for their rights to be seen and recognized. He hopes people will see beyond the headlines and care to know the human story behind a scandal. For him, Cynthia isn’t just a Nigerian boxer who got suspended, she’s a young woman navigating a world that judged her, failed her and still, she’s choosing to rise. “If people leave with more understanding and a bit more softness in how they look at others, then I’ve done my job.”