Olympic gold medalist Yemisi Ogunleye goes viral singing gospel song after victory
Nigerian-born German athlete Yemisi Ogunleye, who won a gold medal in the women's shot put at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, went viral as she gave glory to God through a gospel song following her victory.
The 25-year-old secured the gold on Friday with a put distance of 20 meters, beating New Zealand's Maddi Wesche by .14 meters. During her first put, Ogunleye nearly tripped and fell due to rainy weather but persevered.
During a press conference, Ogunleye, who once sang in a gospel choir, said singing to God in praise and worship has helped her focus on the Lord during difficult times, including her performance at the Olympics. She said she leaned on God during the Olympics by singing the gospel song "I Almost Let Go."
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"I almost let go/ I was right at the edge of a breakthrough but couldn't see it/ The devil really had me/ But Jesus came and grabbed me/ He held me close so I wouldn't let go," Ogunleye sang during the press conference.
"God's mercy kept me, so I wouldn't let go/ So I'm here today because God kept me/I'm alive today only because of His grace/ Oh, He kept me, God kept me/God's mercies kept me so I wouldn't let go."
Ogunleye said that if it weren't for God carrying her through the performance, she wouldn't have walked away with the gold. She recalled praying for encouragement to change her perspective during the competition.
"I was just saying a prayer. It was the moment when I knew that if I have the faith, I am capable of doing more than I can think or ask for. In that moment, I just took all the energy that I had left and just put it out there," Ogunleye said, according to World Athletics.
A video of Ogunleye singing at the press conference has since gone viral on social media, with over 1 million views and many celebrities and fans expressing well wishes for her tenacity in sharing her faith through worship and song.
"Olympic gold medal winner Yemisi Ogunleye stuns the press with a beautiful song about how Jesus Christ has kept her," wrote evangelist Franklin Graham on Facebook. "She sings, 'I'm alive today because of His grace.' Thank you for not being ashamed of His Name Yemisi."
Kurt Carr, the musician who first recorded the gospel song Ogunleye sang at the press conference, also viewed the video. Carr expressed gratitude to Ogunleye for using her platform to share her faith.
"Thank you for letting your light shine and showing the world your love of God. Congrats on winning a gold medal for Germany in shot put," wrote Carr.
Ogunleye told Olympics.com that her decision to participate in the Olympics was only made by first seeking the Lord.
"Some time ago, I was just praying and asking God what he wants to do with the Olympic Games. And He was like, 'We are going to get gold.' I did not have faith at that moment. But He kept on telling me," Ogunyele said.
"It sounds literally crazy, but I have seen it in front of my eyes, and I really started to have faith and the confidence that it is possible."
Nicole VanDyke is a reporter for The Christian Post.
