SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, (THEWILL) – Amara Nwankwo married footballer, Kanu Nwankwo when she was just 18 amidst a lot of criticism from people who thought her too young to be getting married.
Now, a few days to her 30th birthday and weeks to their 12th wedding anniversary, the mother of three opens up to Punch Spiceon what it was like marrying at that age, how she handled the criticism, dealing with the risks associated with her husband’s profession and more.
See excerpts from her interview below.
On getting married at 18 and how she’s been able to cope:
Marriage is a growth process and I learn on a daily basis. I got married as a teenager. I was young. I think I jumped into the deep end and I simply went with it. It takes a lot of determination to keep things going because irrespective of your age, marriage throws a lot of curves at you. The main thing is being able to bounce back after being hit with a surprise or what you do not expect.
On harbouring doubts about her marriage:
I wasn’t scared; I felt it like it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I was in love, so there was no time for a negative feeling like fear to come up. I think the love I had and still have for my husband was all I needed to feel comfortable and good.
On dealing with fame:
When I was getting married, I was not ready to be thrust into the limelight. I didn’t even know what I was getting into. I wasn’t a football fan and I knew nothing about the Premiership. I didn’t know I was getting married into that level of limelight as I was young, vibrant and in love. I am now a football fan.
On if she’d let her daughter get married at the same age:
Having gone through it myself, I wouldn’t say I would like her to do the same. I would like her to experience life slightly a bit more than I did. But it all depends on the circumstances and the persons involved. I had support from my mum, dad and siblings. In hindsight, I can say that they actually did a good job. In June, we would celebrate the 12th anniversary of our wedding.
On how she handled criticism:
I ignored critics and paid no attention to what people said. I overlooked Facebook and I only signed on to the platform in July 2011. That was shortly after I earned a degree in Architecture.
On what she’d do differently in terms of marriage and certain decisions she has made over the years:
I don’t think I would want to do it differently. I think getting married early is my competitive advantage.I learnt real life and management skills in marriage. Even though I’m currently studying for an MBA, it can’t beat the real life experiences. I won’t change anything because it all worked for me.
On dealing with the risks of her husband’s job:
When I began to understand what it meant to lose a game, I had to learn to cheer him up. I also had to learn really fast that every game had a consequence, a price and a goal at the end of the day.
On motherhood
Motherhood is the best thing that has ever happened to me. In terms of motherhood, women empowerment and business sense, Beyonce inspires me. My children will always be my priority and I give God the most gratitude for blessing me with children. If I invest my time in them, they will give me more value at the end of the day.
On practising as an interior designer:
I have a first degree in Architecture and I graduated just before I had my daughter. I had some experience working with some of the best architectural firms in London. It dawned on me that I was giving my 100 per cent to a company, which was predominantly white and I had little or no time for my family. Haing garnered adequate experience, I decided to set up my own business, so that I would have time for my family. I can now do things at my own pace. Unlike interior decoration, you need certain technical skills to become an interior designer.
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