“I was told I can’t walk or run again, but my leg healed miraculously—without surgery” – Ese Brume |#WithChude

·31 min·3 clips

At 19, Ese Brume's knee would pop out during training, and teammates said she'd never jump again—but she refused surgery.

The episode is an interview with Nigerian long jumper Ese Brume on the show #WithChude. Host Chude opens by noting Brume's consistent wins over the past decade, prompting her to reflect on her gratitude and recognition of her talent. Brume explains how coach Kayode Yaya discovered her in 2008 in Ughelli, Delta State, during a casual visit to the track, leading to a two-hour walk where he encouraged her athletic potential. She moved to Benin for training, where Yaya initially had her try multiple events before specializing in long jump. Her first international competition was the 2013 African Junior Championships in Mauritius, where she won gold in long jump and relay, and bronze in triple jump, marking her first flight and time outside Nigeria. Brume credits her coach for instilling confidence and a positive mindset, which helped her perform under pressure. She discusses her faith development after meeting Yaya, who introduced her to Winner's Chapel (Living Faith Church), where she joined the choir and later the sanitary unit. A key moment was her interview in Tokyo where she testified to God's healing of injuries, including a knee injury diagnosed for surgery in 2015. At age 19, she suffered a loose ligament causing her knee to pop out, with teammates and authorities writing her off and threatening to exclude her from the Olympics if she didn't meet a distance at trials. Despite a training accident days before trials, she exceeded the distance and competed in Rio with the injury, placing fifth globally. Brume emphasizes her faith in God's healing, noting she never had surgery. She also describes dedicating her medal to Bishop David Oyedepo for teaching faith principles. In 2024, she qualified for the Paris Olympics finals with Nigerian teammates but placed fifth, revealing she competed with a foot injury sustained days prior. Brume reflects on handling defeat positively, celebrating others' wins. She recalls the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where after failing at the World Junior Championships, she unexpectedly won gold, taught her to move forward from past failures. The interview concludes with Brume's prayer to leave a lasting impact and inspire others through her talent before retirement.

As heard by us

A faith-led athlete profile that frames recovery and victory as part of the same testimony.

Ese Brume's story comes through as a faith-led look at elite sport, with the medal chase, the recovery, and the coaching all folded into one larger question of what keeps an athlete going.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a wins-first story of recovery, faith, and Olympic consistency.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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