Everyday Heroes: Ese Brume

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is a revelation of where many countries are in terms of human capacity development. This 2020 Olympics has also opened up a lot about the Nigerian state of mind when it comes to sports and youth development. The Olympics has left many Nigerians with mixed feelings; mostly tilting towards despair and a loss of hope because of the all-around state of the Nation. But in this darkness is a glimmer of hope: Ese Brume, one who still represents hope and a possible ray of light. Ese stands as a hero in the hearts of many Nigerians for the singular fact that, in the midst of the chaos and hopelessness many talks about, a Nigerian is still able to clinch at least a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Ese Brume: A long walk to Bronze

Born in Ughelli, Delta State, on the 20^th of January, 1996. Brume has had to take a long walk to where she is today as a Nigerian hero in the world of sports. In 1996, Chioma Ajunwa clinched the gold medal in the Olympics and Brume has clinched but a bronze. But what makes it remarkable as earlier stated is the condition surrounding her journey there.

Brume specializes in the long jump. She is a three-time African senior champion in the Long Jump and holds a personal best of 7.17 m. Brume was the long jump gold medalist at the 2013 African Junior Athletics Championships, 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 African Senior Athletics Championships and 2015 African Junior Athletics Championships. She also represented Nigeria at the World Junior Championships in Athletics in 2014. Brume represented Nigeria at the 2016 Olympic Games where she placed 5th in the Long Jump final with a leap of 6.81m

She first emerged at the national level at the 2012 Nigerian Athletics Championships with former junior athletes Dakolo Emmanuel and Fabian Edoki. She placed sixth in the long jump, clearing over six meters. She also was the winner at the 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos. The following year she set a personal best of 6.53 m (21 ft 5 in) to place second nationally, behind Blessing Okagbare. She was one of the most successful athletes at the 2013 African Junior Athletics Championships: she won the long jump title, took silver in the triple jump, and was part of Nigeria’s winning 4×100 meters relay team. She also placed fourth individually in the 100 meters. Brume successfully defended her long jump title at the next edition of the African Junior Athletics Championships in Addis Ababa. This time, she was even more successful as she added the triple jump and 4 x 100 m relay title, and a bronze medal in the individual 100 meters to her collection.

Brume won the bronze medal in the Long Jump event at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, with a jump of 6.91 m and at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, with a jump of 6.97 m.

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jeremiah

Jeremiah is a scholar and a poet. He has a keen eye for studying the world and is passionate about people. He tweets at @jeremiahaluwong.

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