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Ukpeseraye Ese Ukpeseraye, who became the first athlete to represent Nigeria in cycling at the Olympics, talks about her journey into the sport, competing in Paris, winning eight medals at a single National Sports Festival, and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO
How did you start cycling?
I became serious about cycling in 2013. It was my friend in the village who always saw me riding local bicycles that introduced me to cycling. Gradually, from there, I got better. I wanted to quit, but when I saw other women doing it, I didn’t give up.
Did your family support you taking to cycling?
In the first place, my mom knew I loved my bicycle. When we went to the farm then, I would always ride my bicycle. I regret that now that I am doing well in cycling, she is not here. I lost my parents some time ago. My mom supported me. If not for her, I might not be where I am today because she allowed me to stay somewhere else at a young age to learn cycling. Sometimes I would have bruises, but she still supported me, and my dad also. As a woman, you need to work harder than a man to be recognised as an athlete.
How hard has it been?
As a lady, I don’t want to depend on anyone because I know what my mother passed through. I try to be serious about what I’m doing because sometimes we are harassed on the road. People have told me to look for a job and stop cycling. When I look at them, it irritates me because some of them are street ladies. I’m fighting for my future; I make sure I keep pushing; my sisters are always there for me, praying for me. My sport is very hard. You can get involved in accidents that can make you unable to cycle again. My siblings’ prayers and support keep me going because they are the only people I have now.
What was it like representing Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
It was a great experience. I think I deserve some accolades for what I achieved, being the first Nigerian cyclist to represent the country at the Olympics. I represented the green, white, green with pride, and I believe I have set the ball rolling for cycling in Nigeria. We can only go up from here.
What is your next goal?
I want to win an intercontinental competition now since I have also won in Africa for Nigeria.
What are the most rewarding or proudest moments of your career?
Of course, competing at the Paris Olympics is one of them. Then, when I travelled to Asmara, Eritrea, in 2018, I won gold and silver. It was an African Cup event, but it was not really recognised. However, I enjoyed going to another country for a competition. And winning eight gold medals at a single National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State, in 2022.
How were you able to win eight gold medals at the 2022 National Sports Festival?
Before I went to Asaba, I already made up my mind that I wanted to win gold in all my races. I am the kind of person who makes use of any opportunity that comes her way because I am not going to do this forever. So, whenever I am going to the festival, I always work hard, and with God, everything comes easy for me. I had a lot of crashes and accidents that could have made me lose my life, but I still kept hard at it. Some things happened to me that almost prevented me from competing, but I still did. I had bruises, and my body was hurting during the festival, but I stood up because I was eager to get all the medals.
What almost made you miss the festival?
The first was that the bicycle I used was not what I wanted. I am actually happy I did not get the bike because a lot of people might have said it was because I used a particular bike that I won all the medals. The bicycle later came after the festival, but I am glad I didn’t need it.
In which events did you win the eight gold medals?
My first event was mixed relays with the boys and girls; the second was team pursuit (3 km), and then we did a road race, an elimination race, individual time trials, a 200m sprint, a 500m sprint, and a 1km sprint. I participated in all cycling events.
What did winning eight gold medals mean to you?
Some people will think it’s because of the money. I’m very happy that I worked for something. Nobody has done what I did before in cycling. I couldn’t believe it. And even if I can’t do it again, I’m still the only one to ever do it, and people will still talk about it in the future. I’m very happy.
What else would you have done aside from cycling?
I would be into business. I don’t want to work under anybody because I don’t have the strength to stand the insults.
Do you think cycling is duly recognised in Nigeria?
It’s not. Anytime we travel and come back with medals, we do not hear anything about it, but some other sports will be all over social media.
Do you think the Nigeria Cycling Federation is making enough efforts to market cycling?
They are trying, but something about Nigerians is that they only focus on what they like. I think cycling can still get the recognition it deserves, but maybe by then I might have already stopped. However, the younger cyclists shall enjoy it.
Do you think there are enough competitions in cycling?
Cycling is tough. There were lots of competitions at the last festival, and there were some times I almost didn’t win. I was scared, but I had to keep the fear away and focus on my goals.
