For British-born Nigerian media personality Dayo Olomu, Thursday, June 25, 2020 will go down as most unforgettable. On that red-letter day, handsome Olomu had cause to count his blessings and thank God profusely for the grace to mark his 55th birthday, amidst an avalanche of congratulatory messages from loved ones across the globe. It is doubtful if he could have done otherwise considering his beginning that was littered with killing challenges. At age eight, he tasted the bitter side of life, after he lost his father. Faced with this challenge, he had to support his mother by hawking iced water. Much later in life, when he relocated to the United Kingdom, his paths were still strewn with thorns, particularly as he was ridiculed when he started out as a speaker. But Olomu, with unbent determination, has succeeded in spite of the odds against him. As fate would have it, Olomu, who has 160 awards in his kitty, is today an iconic global brand, a renowned international motivational speaker, human capital development expert, business transformation strategist, leadership trainer, business mentor, executive coach, award-winning event host, bestselling author, a key person of influence, board member, HR leader, community champion and philanthropist. No wonder, DO, as he is fondly called by friends and admirers, couldn’t hide his joy so much he penned a powerful note to capture the abundance of God’s mercies in his life on the occasion of his 55th birthday.
Olomu’s story isn’t unique –many others have realised their dreams just as he had. But it does go to show that anyone can achieve whatever they want with a strong desire to succeed. Through his Dayo Olomu Foundation, he has been giving back by creating awareness and raising funds for many charities since 2006 through running many marathons, skydiving, walking 100km from London to Brighton and feeding the homeless. Hence, he is also dedicating his 55th birthday to running the marathon in one week again to raise funds and create awareness for the less privileged.