These Women Will Be Nigeria’s First-Ever Winter Olympians

Nigeria will be represented in the Winter Olympics for the first time ever in 2018, as their women’ bobsled team finished fifth in a qualifying race in Calgary.

Driver Seun Adigun and brakemen Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga will be the first-ever African athletes to compete in Olympic bobsled.

“We are from a continent that would never imagine sliding down ice at 80 or 90 miles per hour,” Adigun said to BBC in March. “The idea of getting people to take to that in itself is empowering.”

????????????????????ECSTATIC to say the LEAST. We are so proud of our Women’s Bobsled Team being eligible to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games! ????????????????Congratulations???? @seun_msamazing @akuomaomeoga @ngozi.onwumere You Ladies showed nothing but pure heart and dedication. To see a mere dream come to reality is a true blessing. God bless you all and thank you for representing Nigeria so well! ????????❤️ #bsfnigeria #NigeriaBobsled #underarmour @underarmour #teamua #wewill #nigeria #nigerianathletes

A post shared by ???????? BOBSLED & SKELETON (@bsfnigeria) on Nov 16, 2017 at 9:21am PST

The trio began training just last year in Houston on a wooden sled they dubbed “The Maeflower.” The Winter Olympics will take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, February 9 – 25.