2018 African long jump champion Ese Brume says “the grace of God” and the effort of her coaches helped her set a new Championship record as she claimed gold for Delta State in the Women’s Long jump event at the 19^th National Sports Festival taking place at the National Stadium, Abuja.

Brume, a three-time African long jump champion leapt a distance of 6.62m on Tuesday, 11 December and though her leap fell short of her personal best of 6.83m, it was more than enough to wipe out Chinedu Udozor’s longstanding mark of 6.39m set in2006 at the Gateway Games in Ogun State.

“It was by the grace of God and also in me believing in my coach, his effort has also been of great help,” the 22-year old told busybuddiesng.com.

The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth gold medallist also praised the efforts her school Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus and the Rector of her Department of Foreign Language Education, Necdet Osam.

Brume who also holds the African Junior record in long jump said preparing at short notice for the hastily put together NSF didn’t deter her from believing she could come out tops at the championships.  

“Though it was a short time [to prepare], but I just had faith,” she says, “I had to believe in the process that I could do all things and also I had to believe in my coach also and that has worked for me so far and I give God all the praise.”

She also described the promise by the government of Delta State to reward each gold medallist with one million naira as a “big motivation for me”.

Having capped off her year with yet another gold medal to add to the one she won at the African Championships in Asaba in August, Brume now has her eyes set on 2019 The African Games in Casablanca, Morocco where she hopes to secure a podium finishhaving finished fourth at the 2015 edition in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.

“I’m hoping by the grace of God to climb the podium and also to do a Personal Best by the grace of God. It’s always by His Grace,” she says.