In today’s special interview, we will be featuring Ololade Ayelabola, who recently broke Guinness World Record for the Longest Catwalk (130.62km).
Ololade opens up about her background, education, school life, pageantry and her road to breaking a Guinness World Record.
So can you tell us about yourself?
I was born on December 27th, in Ibadan. I was born into a family of three, I have an elder sister and a younger brother. My primary and secondary school education were basically in Ibadan but I’m studying at University of Lagos, Computer Science, a 500L student. I have been modelling for quite a while, I do project management and voice-over artist also, so basically, I’m also a beauty queen, a beauty queen of four consecutive wins over past four years.
Would you like to tell us about the beauty queen ?
So it means pageantry, a beauty pageant queen. I started from University of Lagos, Miss Amina 2019, Miss Unique 2019, Face of Akoka 2019, Most Beautiful Campus Queen Nigeria 2021 and by God’s grace, I also won that.
Thank you so much for that. So can you let us into your educational background?
Ok, so I had my secondary education at The SMART school opposite UI post office, that was where the school was and now I’m schooling at the University of Lagos, I stayed home five years before I gained admission though, I gained admission in my fifth year and then I’m schooling in the University of Lagos, studying computer science.
So, um, what’s it like being a computer scientist?
Ok..it was not something I thought it was. So in my secondary school, my secondary school was a tech savvy school, such that the school provided senior students with a laptop.
So I was a senior student and I had a laptop and then I was very good with graphics designing and so I thought I was going to study computer science, that was the plan, so that I could become a graphic designer. But then when I got to school, it was a total ballgame entirely.
I started hearing Python, I was like “Python used to be a snake, when did Python turn into a programming language” and then I started hearing about other programming languages.
It was tough because I was not even prepared for it but then I’m the kind of person that always likes to bring out an opportunity from something, I’m like five years, six years in school cannot go to waste so I decided to go into project management major.
So I’m a project manager in computer science. Yes, that’s what I do.
Thank you, can you elaborate on what is project management in computer science?
OK..So basically, project management is just using methodologies, skills, knowledge and experiences to work on a project, from the beginning of a project till the end of a project.
So the project manager manages every other team member of the project, from the developer to the engineer, to the designer. The project manager ensures that risks are managed by coming up with a contingency plan and ensures that the timelines are being met, and every milestone is being achieved as at when due.
So that is what a project manager does. And then a project manager uses different applications, different skills and methodologies, we have SQL master, we have agile, we have other skills that people use in project management.
Ok. Thank you for explaining that. So if someone wants to go into it, what will they have to do?
Two things. It depends on the person’s background. If the person has an idea of computer science, I’ll just tell them to take some online courses on project management and get live-on experience.
There is something about live-on experience and project management that you cannot swap. So I’ll advise them to get on live projects, even though it is not a very big project, just get on some projects, manage people, find a real project and get on it.
That is actually how to go about it because you will just be hearing project charter, you’ll be hearing..you won’t know how to really apply it until you get into it, you get your hands on it. So, basically, I’ll just tell them to, even if they have to intern, if they have to start as a beginner in a company or a firm or maybe an associate project manager, a junior project manager, that will be my advice to them.
Do they need to go to school to study or to take courses online?
There are different, uh, it depends on what the person says. Some people might want to be a guru, a consultant of project management like I want to be a consultant.
So if you want to be a consultant, you definitely know that you have to go to school, you have to have your BSc or MSc, you have to keep taking courses, and you have to keep learning when it comes to being a consultant.
Thank you so much. So are you in your final year or are you about to graduate?
I’m done, I’m done. I finished my project and did my defence already so I’m waiting to convocate.
Ok.. So tell me. What was it like to study in school? What were your obstacles, your challenges?
I had a very big obstacle and that was studying computer science, like I said. I was studying a course I didn’t even know much about and if I were given the opportunity, I would want to enlighten students about what they want to go into, not just the students only, parents also.
At times, I know that parents might want their children to study a particular course, which was not even the case with me. I was the one that picked computer science by myself, nobody forced me. I didn’t even know what it was all about. I had so many issues, I had so many obstacles.
I had to do extra reading, and extra studying. Because I entered through A levels, I did A levels, so they had done a lot of courses in year 1 that were foundations for what they were teaching us in year 2 and I did not understand them.
So I had to start, I had to pick a point of interest, by fire by force. Yes, that was what happened, those were my obstacles basically.
So what CGPA did you graduate with?
3. something, I think 3.. the spreadsheet is not out yet but from my calculation, it’s either a 2:1 or a 2:2. It’s either I’m finishing with a 2:1 or a very strong 2:2, maybe 3.4 something or 2:1. I could be very lucky but the last time I checked it was 3.3 something or there about.
So tell us, how did you get into beauty pageantry?
Beauty pageantry..I think it’s just very natural for me. That’s just the truth. It was very natural. Growing up, when I was in secondary school, I was in science class but I was always in cultural arts.
I was running away from the JETS club, and press club..they were annoying to me. I was always in cultural, fashion class.. I was always dressing my mummy up. I keep natural hair, I would style my hair differently every day, I was always doing make up and I guess that’s where it started from.
Also, I used to watch Miss Oyo State with my mum, and Miss Nigeria pageantry competition so it was just natural. Infact, if I told you that this person was going to win the pageantry, that was the person that was going to win the pageantry.
So I think it was just something that was natural and that was hidden that we didn’t know about. And then when the opportunity came, oh that was it. I was always taking overnight rehearsals.
When people were sleeping or reading, I would go on YouTube to watch catwalk videos, catwalk training.. I was doing all of that just to improve myself. So that was how it started, basically. It was something that I grew into naturally.
So what was your first pageantry?
So my first pageantry, let’s leave primary school pageantry and all of that, was in 2019, Miss Amina.
There are different hostels in UNILAG and Amina was one of them, so I contested for Miss Amina. We were about 9 contestants, that was my first pageantry, and I won it, by God’s grace.
Oh seriously, how did you manage as a computer scientist and a model?
A lot of people are like, “how do you do it?” In my department, a lot of lecturers know me. They will be like, “see this beauty queen”, they call me Queen Lade. Because know that this one even though she’s a computer science student, she is a beauty queen and I’ve represented UNILAG in the last pageantry. Most Beautiful Campus Queen, I represented University of Lagos, and we won again. You know..
So what would you say is the most prestigious pageantry you were ever involved in?
It was the last one, Most Beautiful Campus Queen 2021. It was a national contest, we had over 100 participants and then we kept dropping, we kept dropping till like 50 and then we dropped again till about 20 and then I came up number 1. So that was it, because it was a national contest.
You mentioned people asking you how you were able to do it.. I’m asking you, How were you able to mix the pageantry with studies?
Ok..so, uhm, I understood that I am in school, I cannot fail. I have a responsibility to my academics and at the sane time, I have a responsibility to myself.
Pageantry, fashion, and modelling are therapy to me but there is a responsibility of me also passing my exams so it just about finding the balance. Even though it took me a while to really find the point of balance, I understood how to read, when to read, what to read and that was what helped me.
I knew that during the day, I’m always on classes. When I come back from classes, I would sleep a little and read again. At midnight, I’d do my trainings and rehearsals and that’s how I kept the balance. At times, durihg the day ahd after my classes, I’d go for shoots so I understood when to read, when to work because I was also like, making money for myself.
So I understood how to actually strike a balance. And then when we resume early in the semester, I gave more time to modelling even though I was still going to classes. I don’t miss classes, I’m always in front, but when it was getting to middle of the semester and towards the exam, I dropped back on pageantry a little and focused more on my books. So that’s what I did.
That sounds like a lot of hard work. How is the fashion industry like? Who would you say is your favourite in that industry?
Oh! The fashion industry, my favourite.. Do you know the funny part? I find it hard to pick because there’s something about me, there’s something I look for before I can say what my favourite is. I look for excellence, I’m someone that cannot stand mediocrity.
I can’t cope when something is not done very well, when something is not done to the standard. So there are quite a few people I look up to, that I really really like but I don’t want to start mentioning them so they won’t perceive me a certain way. But I have like 5 -10 people that I really, really like.
But there’s someone’s I’d always love to mention her name and that’s Kiki, even though Kiki is a content creator, her fashion game is on point. Even though she is not a fashion stylist, but she is a fashionista. Her combo, her combination, her dress sense, her aura is on point..I love her so much. But for the others , I won’t mention their names so that nobody will come for me. (haha)
OK. Let’s talk about your Guinness World Record achievement. So what motivated you?
OK. Basically, I had one strong motivation. About 5’8 plus, I’m not up to 5’9 feet tall. I have always wanted to hit the runway because of course I walk so well, trust me I walk so well. And I applied for two fashion way last year in Lagos, I don’t like mentioning their names. I got to the audition ground, I walked and they were like “You can’t be a part of us because you are not tall”. It was heartbreaking.
I was good at it but because I am not tall.. And I’m like, fashion is about inclusion. When we talk about fashion, it’s all about inclusion because fashion is not just for a particular set of people. And then I was thinking of every other person that has actually been told a NO, some of them might actually be meeting the standard but they could have been told a No.
I was thinking of how this response could have affected a lot of people. Another thing that crossed my mind was, I rarely see models with tribal marks, I rarely see models with albinism. So I was like, “Ok what can I do?”
Then I thought of it, I thought of creating a stage, my own runway, where I would walk and where I would allow other models to walk even if you are short. We had a model of 5’4, we had 5’5, we had 5’11, we had 6 feet, we had an albino, we had someone with vertigo, we had someone with tribal marks, actually.
We had all those kinds of models walk my runway. So that was my inspiration, creativity a stage whereby everybody could showcase their talent, whereby everybody could be inclusive irrespective of their skin colour, their height, their stature whatsoever standard has been set out there. Basically that was it.
So did you encounter any difficulty or challenges while you were creating this stage?
Yes. it is not yet talk time. You know I’m still a baby, so they will not start saying, “Who is this girl that is causing trouble up and down. If not because I’m just this kind of person that doesn’t give up, I would have cancelled the event long ago. But then one major obstacle, one major barrier that was an issue was sponsors, sponsors were pulling out, some did not come through.
So the event was funded by personal contributions- people who borrowed us money, people who gave their personal money, people that just believed in the vision and gave. Imagine having over 50 models walk your runway, imagine having a team of about 200 hundred people.. because you know a fashion show is not an ordinary show, everywhere must be covered.
You have production, you have media, you have welfare, you have a lot of people so we needed a lot of hands and we needed a lot of money to push a lot of things. We had to buy diesel, we needed to be on a 200KVa generator. It was a lot, it was a lot of money. That was a big barrier for us.
For the sake of our audience, what record did you break?
The longest distance walked on a catwalk by a model. So, it is a runway stage and the total distance is calculated by the length of the runway multiplied by the number of laps I go round the runway. That’s how they get the total distance covered. Yes.
So you broke the record?
Yes we did! The last one was 114.4km.
Wow! Was it just you or with your other models?
One of the rules is that the runway must not be empty so it was only my walk that was counted. If we were to count every other model’s walk, we would be hitting 6000 plus.
But the rule says that record category is for an individual and the runway must not be empty. So if I’m changing, resting or taking a break or something, then show must continue, so other models must continue but their walks were not counted, only mine was.
So for the sake of those that don’t know, what is Guinness Book of Records?
Guinness book of record is a management company, that recognizes spectacular, or let me sat extraordinary things, or things that are not really known in the world but are very extraordinary.
So take for example, maybe people with extraordinary skills, that is actually what they categorize them under. Maybe someone that lived so so so number of years, someone that has extraordinary skills and is able to do something over a certain period of time, they would recognize you.
The shortest human that lived, they will recognize you. Maybe someone that has the highest number of gold trophies in a particular category, they will recognize you.
So that is just what they do, the recognize people with extraordinary skills, people that are doing well in their field. After they’ve checked that what you are doing is really valid with some stringent rules, then you will get verified and approved.
So can you tell us about the rules?
Ok. So one of the rules is that the show must be continuous, It cannot stop.
Rule number 2 is that outfits can only be repeated after 12 hours. All the outfits you wear for the first 12 hours must not be the same. After 12 hours, you can keep repeating the outfit.
Rule number 3 is that there must be an MC throughout the event. They may swap but there must be an MC and the MC must talk for 45 minutes in one hour and has a 15 minute break.
So the MC talks about the designer and the model that is walking on the runway. Another one is there must always be a model on the runway. Either one is taking a pose and the other one is walking but there must just be one model on the runway.
Then the total distance calculated must be recorded.
How did you make sure they see these rules you were applying? Did they have officials come over to see you guys do it?
So in the evidence checklist that they requested for, we have the photographic and the videographic evidences.
So these evidences are going to be compressed in such a way that they can see all of these things.
Evidence 2 is that they have individual witnesses, we scouted for individual witnesses. These witnesses were not part of our volunteers, they were not in any way related to the show but they were people that are experts in either fashion or in their field.
They will take a four-hour shift rotation and record some things that they noticed. The things they must record are that: the models walk professionally, outfits were changed every twelve hours, they also have to record that the MCs observed the 45-minute rule and 15-minute break.
So these persons are the ones recording all of those things and they are signing, they are stamping, their phone numbers are there because Guinness book of record might do a double verification by speaking with them and confirming that we actually adhered to those regulations.
We also went live and the videos are on YouTube, I think some are on Instagram. So they will definitely check to confirm that we followed all these instructions.
So I was just wondering, at what point was it clear to you that you have broken Guinness book of record?
From the beginning, before it started. I’m a kind of person that will rather not do it, I’m a go-getter o. I would rather not do something than stop halfway. I’m always a 100% sure that I can do a certain thing before I go for it.
My leg was bandaged from day 2, I mean it was all gone, my feet were gone. My toes were pulled out, and were all gone. I couldn’t wear shoes, or heels.
We had to walk the walk, the walk had to walk, the record had to be broken. I was looking at people, their hardwork, their labour.. People traveled from Abuja, Benin, Portharcourt, Ibadan, for this event and I’ll say I will not walk? No o, we will walk it.
From the beginning, I knew that it was either I break this record or I break this record. And you know it was also a mental thing yeah, I prepared myself for the event, even before the event came – 6 months, 8 months prior- I was always talking to myself. You will break this record o, you’ve called people, you will break this record.
So I broke the record even before I broke the record, actually. I broke the record in my mind and the nerves were passed to my body and they picked it up and were able to break the record physically. That was it.
You know, apart from your determination, what was your motivation?
Ok. I had people cheering me on. Let me even talk about my preparation. I had like four months of intensive training, I trained twice in a day, in the morning and at night.
In the morning, I trained with people that were going for world Olympics, athletes. My coach is a world coach, Coach Osheku, he trains people that go for world Olympics and all of that. I trained for about 3 – 4 hours in the morning, and in the evening,I go to the gym for another 2 – 3 hours.
I trained like that from Monday to Friday, and on Saturdays and Sundays, I did my catwalk rehearsals. During the event, what kept me going was the people.
They consistently cheered me on. They were there – My aunt was there, my uncles, my cousins, sisters, my Dad – everybody was there, volunteers, people came in their numbers.
People were not even tired, I was begging them to get some sleep and go on shifts but they refused and kept cheering me on.
I saw my coach and at the 92 hour mark, when we were close to breaking the record, I was initially walking the runway in 1 minute then it dropped to 50 seconds. He kept signalling to me to keep going and that helped me in breaking the record as well.
So how many minutes break did you take during that time?
The good thing about this record is that I had unlimited break. I could rest for a whole day and there would not be an issue but because we were walking with calculation and time, I was a 1 hour, 30 minutes break maximum, and the break was more of a massage break.
I would walk for about 7 hours and take a break for a 1 hour 30 minutes, sometimes I’ll walk for 12 hours at a stretch, So my legs were all swollen. There was a point when my kegs were not moving, that was day 2 midnight.
I walked just 20 laps in four hours and they had to take me off the stage because my legs refused to move. So I did not sleep on those breaks, they would just hang my legs, allow blood flow, they would massage and put some neurogesic cream on it.
They would lock me inside and seize my phone to enable me to take my rest, and when it was time, they would come get me to continue walking. So that was my break, 1 hour 30 minutes.