Osawese Agbonkonkon is a champion and a visionary.
“I can be a high-level athlete,” Agbonkonkon said. “But also, these are things I do off the track or off the field or off the court that make me unique.”
In the same way Agbonkonkon crafted the characters in his debut novel, “Psychic Suit,” Agbonkonkon rejects limits.
During his sophomore season, the Frisco native owned the Longhorns’ early outdoor meets, racking up personal bests and first-place finishes.
Then came a gut-punch injury — the worst he’s ever faced — forcing him into six weeks of rehab.
“I was able to come back for our SEC outdoor conference meet, score some points for the team,” Agbonkonkon said. “Then two weeks later, I was able to go to our regional meet. That’s the meet it takes us to nationals.”
“Forty-eight competitors enter, only the top 12 will advance,” he said. “So, it’s kind of great that I was able to be out for a couple weeks and still come back and make it to a national championship.”
While competing at nationals, he was also pushing his novel.
“Psychic Suit,” a six-year project, digs into mental health and the tangle of wealth and power, shaped by his love for Marvel, James Bond and Stuart Gibbs’ “Spy School” series.
“The book follows this group of characters called ‘psychics,’” Agbonkonkon said. “They are these people blessed with powers by the alien metal. This is a very rare metal, very valuable, and they hold a monopoly over it.”
“So because of that, their ancestors were able to get very wealthy and very politically connected, and we’re now coming into this New Age dynasty,” he said. “The book opens up with a terrorist organization who steals their metal, using the technology to pull off a terrorist attack in New York. And now they have to go stop them.”
When asked what keeps him balancing D1 athletics and writing, he said it’s what people in sports call a “dog mentality.”
“It’s just like, if I’m going to do something, I want to do it well, do it at the highest level I can,” he said. “Or why do it at all?”
“Psychic Suit” is personal, a story he’s molded over years.
“I enjoy doing it,” he said. “It’s storytelling. I love it.”
Agbonkonkon, just 20 years old, is planning a sequel, eyeing a film adaptation — maybe with fellow Longhorn Kevin Durant — and aiming for pro high jump.
Read also:
Copyright 2025 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
Great Job Mary Rominger & the Team @ KSAT San Antonio Source link for sharing this story.
