Olympic medalist dedicates gold to God, leads worship as she receives hero’s welcome in return to church
Nigerian-born German athlete Yemisi Ogunleye, who clinched gold in the women’s shot put at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, led a worship service in her church upon her return, attributing her success to divine intervention and sharing her victory with church members.
During the church service at the Christ Gospel City church in Karlsruhe, Germany, Ogunleye invited members and elders to wear her gold medal, indicating that her achievement was not just personal but a collective victory for her faith community. It’s the church that has built her up, she said, talking about the foundational role her early church attendance played in her life.
She explained that when her mother first brought her to church early in her life, she didn't understand the necessity of attending. However, she added, today, she is profoundly grateful to her mother because those early experiences laid the foundation for her faith, which also helped her in athletics.
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The 25-year-old athlete’s journey to gold was marked by a dramatic moment during the event when she nearly lost her balance due to the rainy conditions but managed to secure a winning put distance of 20 meters, edging out New Zealand’s Maddi Wesche by .14 meters.
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.”
Ogunleye’s performance of the song, which describes overcoming hardships through faith, resonated widely, garnering over 1 million views on social media. The song’s original artist, Kurt Carr, and notable figures like evangelist Franklin Graham praised her for using her platform to express her faith.
“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.
“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.
Her decision to compete in the Olympics was also a faith-driven endeavor. “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.
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,” Ogunleye 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.”
