Taking One For The Team

BELGIAN shot putter Jolien Boumkwo discovered a new athletic talent at the European Athletics Team Championships In Poland.

When a colleague racing in the 100-metre hurdles suffered an injury, the team faced disqualification and the loss of two vital championship points.

Although built for comfort rather than speed, Jolien stepped up and took her place.

It was a valiant effort which saw the multiple Belgian champion in shot put and hammer throw tower over fellow competitors and received a huge response from the crowd.

With a smile on her face and bouncing up and down before the start of the race, she found herself strolling through the race and walking over the hurdles to finish 19 seconds behind Spanish runner Teresa Errandonea who won in a time of 13.22.

The video showing the race has since gone viral and she has been congratulated not only for stepping in at the last moment but also for the sense of humour with dignity that she brought to the race.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/reel/780362683533319 to see the race from Jolien’s point of view.

Unfortunately for the Belgian team, those two points weren’t enough to stop them from being relegated to a lower level of European competition but there is no doubt that she represented the true spirit of competition.

Jolien, who is 29 and has roots in the West African republic of Cameroon is aiming to compete at the Paris Olympics in 2024 in her two specialist sports, not the hurdles!

Despite the fact that she is a Belgian champion and record holder, she only receives limited financial support from the Belgian team and therefore started a GoFundMe page to raise sufficient funds to allow her to participate in training camps in November 2023 and January 2024.

Hopefully, even though she is now better known for her participation in the race, the publicity received will encourage additional financial support so that she can be at the peak of her powers in next year’s Olympic Games.