I fasted, prayed with Amusan at 2016 Rio Olympics – Brume

Nigeria’s multiple medallist in the long jump, Ese Brume, spoke about the sacrifices behind her success in athletics on the Special Delivery Podcast of ATHLST. Excerpts

How did your journey into athletics begin?

It all started when I was in high school and then our games master just came and was like ‘Okay we need to take you girls to the track and then you all are going to represent the school’. So, I went to the track that day and then did the 400m. I came second and at the end of the day the teacher was like ‘Okay you guys are not going home’ and we told him we didn’t inform our parents.  Then he explained to us that we were going to represent our state (Delta State) in the National School Sports Festival. That was in 2008 and it was in Lagos. It was that same year I met coach Kayode Yaya. He lived in Benin then and I was in Delta State. The first time I met coach Kayode, he came to speak to us and he made some sense and I enjoyed his teaching that day. So, we took a long walk from Ugheli Stadium down to the market. He was doing all of the talking. He talked to me about sports, and what it entails and encouraged me to keep training to achieve great things. I had the ability though it may not seem so at that moment but that it takes patience. He also mentioned some other people who were into sports and doing well as well, he talked about Blessing Okagbare and then his wife. I enjoyed the discussion and said to myself that I was going to try this. Luckily for me in 2010, my parents took me to Benin, I met coach Kayode again and that was how I started training under him.

Did your parents support you?

My parents have an interest in sports because my mom was a sportsperson. She did handball and triple jump but not for long.

What moments defined your career from a junior athlete to a senior athlete for Nigeria?

When I went for the National School Sports Festival, I came second behind one of the state champs and that inspired me. Then I had the opportunity to meet with the Governor of our state at that time, Uduaghan who gave me money and said some words to encourage me. That was also the time I met Amaju Pinnick. They took me to the Ugheli team to join the team and I went to the National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt where I came sixth behind all of the foreign-based athletes. Then I said to myself that next time,  I’ll make sure that none of the foreign-based ones are in front of me. I started training under coach Kayode in Benin then. I was improving so I went to my next National Sports Festival Eko 2012. Then I came second and I was happy because it was just Blessing Okagbare that was ahead of me. I was happy

In 2013, I went for the Africa Junior in Mauritius, I won the long jump and I was also in the relay team. One year later, I went to the World Junior Championships as the world leader but couldn’t make it to the finals. I was supposed to leave from there to the Commonwealth in Glasgow but the AFN president then said they shouldn’t take us because he felt we couldn’t compete with our mates so what are we going to do in the senior category? The Technical Director at that time, Commodore Omatseye Nesiama then convinced him to use that to encourage us, to explore and get the experience. That was how I went to Glasgow and won which amazed everyone.

The year 2014 was my breakthrough but unfortunately, in 2015 I got injured so I couldn’t perform. I went to the African Games in 2015 with an injured leg so I managed until 2016 when I went for the Olympics, I wasn’t fully healed because I was told that I had to go in for surgery but I refused. I came fifth overall in Rio, I was excited with my performance and we had to go back to work with my coach. In 2017, I didn’t perform because in 2016, immediately after the Olympics, I gained admission into school, the University of Eastern Mediterranean in Cyprus and I had no one to train me. So, my school had to employ my coach Kayode. I made them understand that I was a professional athlete and they still insisted on giving me a scholarship to school there. The school coach then didn’t know my kind of training and I told them I needed my coach because my contract with Adidas was at stake.

Did coach Kayode train only you?

While there, other students came and were interested in sports because of me.  So, the coach was also training them and we had so many athletes while he was there.

Who or what propelled you from one step to the other apart from coach Kayode?

To be honest with you, the major thing is my spiritual life. I always put God first in whatever I am doing. That’s what my coach has taught me right from the very first day we met. He converted me actually and that has been my base and what has brought me this far. Also, I knew where I was coming from and my purpose. Each time I’m out there to compete I always remember purpose, that’s what our coach taught us and that has been working. Our purpose is for impartation, especially the lives of the young girls looking up to us and that has been working.

Which among your medals feels so special like the one you won in Glasgow?

That would be the Olympics because, in 2018, I was deprived of going to the Commonwealth Games because they said I was injured. How can an injured person compete two weeks after the Commonwealth and then break the meet record? I wasn’t injured, I did a 6.82m.

How was your Tokyo Olympics experience and your Olympic story generally?

The 2020 Olympics to be honest I wasn’t ready because of COVID-19. By 2021 I was fully prepared. I’d say probably it was because of me the Olympics was moved to 2021. We were having issues with the coach thing but luckily for me my coach went with me eventually and then I was able to compete and I was able to perform well. Things didn’t go well with athletes over there but we tried to keep the focus and thankfully things went well and I won a bronze medal. I was there alone with my coach, everyone had left and I was told I couldn’t return on the flight I was supposed to travel on with my return ticket because I didn’t leave on that same flight when I was leaving Cyprus, my school had to get another ticket for me and that was how I travelled back.

In Rio 2016, I was fifth and going to Tokyo I said to myself that I’d be on the podium for sure and that I wasn’t going to return without any medal. I prayed with my coach and there is this program we do in church, it’s called Shiloh and I made the sacrifice of what I wanted (whatever comes from your heart), prayed and committed it into God’s hands. Right there in Tokyo, myself and Tobi Amusan fasted and prayed.  There was a crisis but we tried not to let that affect us in any way even though we were not so happy with the whole situation.

At first, I was being underrated by the commentators and other people because normally they would say okay these are the top three people or top six people that will make it but I wasn’t rated and I went there as the world leader but still I wasn’t rated.  Thankfully, I qualified and right from the beginning of the finals, I was already on the medal table.

Watching Tobi miss the podium in Tokyo must feel bad. But how did you feel when she broke the world record in 2022?

I almost hurt myself because I was in the call room and we jumped for joy. Heaven let loose.

You always insisted on going to competitions with coach Kayode even when the AFN wanted you to work with any other coach they were bringing. Do you find it difficult to work with other coaches?

I don’t find it difficult to work with other coaches but I feel more spirited and encouraged when I am with my coach. I always like my coach to be there with me because I feel I can do more when I have him with me.

Do you have any spiritual or psychological routines before competitions?

Most of the time, I fast and I pray. The few days I don’t fast, I take the whole day before my competition to sing and worship God.