In July, five members of the Bisons track and field team will take to Germany for the FISU World University Games. Over the next six weeks, Bison Sports will cover their journey and memories and moments that matter to them. This week's feature is on assistant coach Gee-ef Nkwonta.

Throughout his life, Bisons track and field assistant coach Gee-ef Nkwonta has embodied a "jack of all trades" mindset. One look at his sporting resume proves this to be true.
 
He's ran the gamete, from soccer to basketball, to track and field and most recently, golf. An extremely intelligent person with a competitive edge, his life-long learning mindset pairs perfectly with his athletic edge.
 
"I was way too aggressively competitive. It was bad. I think that's why I'm like this now," he chuckles.
 
"Because it was so debilitating. I got in so much trouble for it. It went from soccer to all the other sports in school. There's a picture of me running in the Manitoba Marathon when I was in grade five. It's been pretty full circle. I think that's the biggest reason why I've been able to keep going and why I've been able to pick up all the sports, because I did all of them."
 
Nkwonta was a sensational basketball player for Fort Richmond Collegiate in high school, and that's the route he originally thought he would take after high school. But life had other plans, swerving his trajectory from the hard court, to the track towards the end of his time at FRC.
 
"I just got into track because I was trying to get out of a test, and I ended up qualifying for things," he admits. "I went to provincials and I did okay, I think I got third in triple jump."
 
Nkwonta was still dead set on basketball heading into university, but there was one problem. He needed to get into a gym, and passes were expensive. Cue Wilfred Sam-King Jr.
 
A former captain on the Bisons track and field team and elite sprinter, Sam-King Jr. was like "a big brother" to Nkwonta. He convinced the upstart athlete to pursue track and field, originally as a way to get more gym time. The floodgates opened from there.
 
"Working out with [Sam-King Jr.], and doing all that stuff with him, it just turned out well. I was like, track isn't bad. I like that aspect of it being on you. With sports, and with life, it's just what I grew up doing, taking accountability for all of your actions, and figuring it out. I found that pretty cool."
 
As Nkwonta got going in the sport, he embraced "the challenge" that jumping provided. It was the right sport at the right time in his life, and from there, he was all-in. He still competes in triple jump to this day.
 
"I love that you can't master it. There's always something you can improve. That's why I started it, that's why I still do it."
 
Nkwonta was admittedly never the most athletic, or naturally gifted member of Manitoba's roster. Heck, when he first debuted in the roster, he was 5'6", and 130 pounds before hitting a major growth spurt later in his rookie season.
 
But he never let his size, or other factors get him down. Instead, he focused on his technique, and a sound overall approach.
 
As he puts it, it was about "controlling the controllables," and honing in on the little details. It's a mindset that he continues to embody to this day with the athletes that he coaches.
 
By the time Nkwonta graduated, he was a national medalist, and his leap of 15.07 metres at the Golden Bear Open in 2018 was the third farthest in school history at the time. He's one of just four triple jumpers in Bisons history to extend past 15 metres.
 
"That was weird. I never would have thought that would be something that happened. I have a weird knack for trying to conquer things that I don't think can be conquered, or trying to prove to myself that I can do something," he reflects when looking back on his storied UM career.
 
"It wasn't like I was trying to go after a distance. It was more about how good can I be at this thing? I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to myself – actually I'm a perfectionist when it comes to everybody, some people I just let them get away with it more. A sport like triple jump, you realize that it isn't about how fast or how strong you are. Those things help, but you get the results by trying to be technically smooth."
 
'There was a certain level of honesty'
Nkwonta's love for the sport, and background as a teacher have been an ideal formula post-graduation. In a short span of time, he's become one of the most respected coaching minds in the country.
 
Notably, in 2023, he helped Madisson Lawrence win double gold at nationals in the pentathlon and high jump, setting a school record in the latter. She capped a legendary U SPORTS career off this past year with another pentathlon gold, along with silver in high jump and bronze in triple jump.
 
A former U SPORTS Assistant Coach of the Year, Nkwonta also helped sprinters Jordan Soufi and Tyrell Davis crack the speed code in 2024, going 1-2 in the 60m on home soil at nationals. It was the first time in school history that Manitoba earned gold and silver in the event.
 
"In the moment, I was like what's going on? I think that was big for many reasons," Nkwonta says of the 1-2 in the 60.
 
"Jordan obviously getting one, Tyrell coming back from all his injuries and wondering if he was going to be able to run again. For both of them to do it at home, I was just happy that they were happy, and had family here for it."
 
Nkwonta is an exceptional communicator and he knows his athletes well. It's helped him understand the unique needs of each. Lawrence is a perfect example.
 
"[We talk] probably more than [Nkwonta] would like," chuckled Lawrence prior to her record-breaking 2022-23 season. "I have a lot of questions and I don't think before I speak sometimes."
 
"I think having a coach who was also my friend has worked out well, because there was a certain level of honesty I could have with him," she added. "I didn't have to build up to it because it was already there. I think it worked well on the track, because if I had questions about something, or wanted to know something, I wouldn't hesitate to ask."
 

Nkwonta's athlete-centred approach is rooted in his own experiences as a Bison. Alanna Boudreau, a "leader and mentor" who's still on UM's staff, was his coach, and has been a major influence.
 
"Alanna was instrumental in everything that I came to. I wouldn't be here without her, taking the chance, pushing me when I didn't want to be pushed, showing up when I didn't think anyone would. It's all the things you want from a coach. We understood each other so much that she knew what I needed even when I didn't know I needed it," Nkwonta says.
 
"She knew how to get a response out of me. I think that was the best part about our relationship. She knew me, I knew her. We connected. She's made me not just a better athlete, but a better person. She's influenced my coaching a lot. I understand that I am far from perfect. I understand that I am probably no one's ideal athlete. I think the only ideal thing about me as an athlete is that I am coordinated, and if someone asks me to do something, I can generally do it in a couple of tries. She never really faltered, whether I was giving her my best or my worst."
 
In two weeks, Nkwonta will take the next step in his coaching career. He, along with Bisons Daxx Turner, Lara Denbow, Jordan Soufi and Dawson Mann will represent Canada on the world stage at the FISU Summer World University Games in Bochum, Germany from July 21-27.
 
He will coach combined events and jumps as part of a ten person coaching staff, embracing the opportunity.
 
"I'm just hoping it leads to more. I'm the geek who's going to be sitting at the warm-up track watching everyone warm up and learning what everyone's doing. The meet will be fun, but that's going to be the best part, meeting everyone from around the world and chatting, and getting to connect with people."