Alexandra Wester is a top German athlete, an almost seven-meter long jumper. Your goal for 2020: you want to go to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. But not alone: Her boyfriend, who is a national basketball player, should also be there in Japan. And Momodou Sey, a sprint talent that she discovered in The Gambia and selflessly promotes. A story of enthusiasm, humanity and sporty excitement.
The story of Alexandra Wester and Momodou Sey begins in 2019 with a conversation about shoes. That was the topic when they first met. Alexandra Wester, German long jumper with a best performance of 6.95 m, visited Gambia, the country in which she was born. She was introduced to Momodou Sey, 20, the best sprinter in the nation. “His sneakers were completely old, leaked, punctured. That was two rags. "
Alexandra Wester, 25, became curious: "What are your best times?" Sey replied: "100 meters in 10.56 seconds. 200 in 20.96. "But hello! That means potential. "Over 200 meters, it is only two tenths of the Olympic standard," remarked Wester. They talked about his life, which had nothing that is part of a professional athlete's life. Sey ate rice or - for him luxury - bread and beans, he had never had physiotherapy. Wester's thought: If the person trains properly, feeds properly, is properly looked after - what should be possible? "He is almost the size of Usain Bolt, wiry, defined, just the right type of sprinter."
The story of the conversation about shoes has a prehistory. Alexandra Wester was angry at the Berlin stadium sports festival Istaf in September 2018; it failed for a long time, even had to temporarily change the ankle bone. Her boyfriend Joshiko Saibou, basketball player at Alba Berlin, was also injured. The couple decided to make good use of the time, Alexandra and Joshiko collected sports shoes for children and adolescents in The Gambia with Alba and the Berlin Olympic base. 600 pairs. They took them there themselves.
There were still customs formalities to be done, Momodou Sey, the young sprinter, helped, "He patiently waited three hours after his training, even though he hadn't eaten or drunk anything" until the last person responsible had arrived and everything could be settled. Finally, he helped distribute the shoes. As a farewell, Alexandra Wester gave him the equivalent of 100 euros so that he could organize a massage. "100 euros is a lot of money in The Gambia," she explains. And what did Momodou Sey do? "He distributed the money among his 30 club colleagues." You can say that Alexandra Wester was overwhelmed. "Momodou has a leader role and a big heart." She decided to support him. He should start at the Olympics.
Alexandra Wester starts for the ASV Cologne, this winter she trains in San Luis Obispo, California, the base of the US athletes. Sey has also been training there for two weeks, for the first time outside of Africa. This is the status of the "Momo project", half of it is financed, until the end of March, beginning of April, Sey can train under Danny Williams, who has already led the hurdle star Edwin Moses. Wester says on the phone: "It's incredibly fun to be your mentor."
You and Joshiko Saibou have set up crowdfunding for Momodou's Olympic dream via the platform "Gofundme" (https://de.gofundme.com/f/We-stand-with-momodou-from-the-gambia) you can donate quickly and easily. The goal is to train him in California by the end of May, then the African Championships in Algeria in mid-June, when Sey should qualify for the Olympics. Running the norm in a small competition in The Gambia would be of no use. Wester: "There is no electronic timekeeping there, the performance would not be recognized internationally."
She is now involved in an "absolute experiment". How can you improve an athlete by changing their living conditions?
Momodou Sey's inputs are actually a miracle. In Gambia he had moved from his mother's village to Bakau, the capital, to his uncle because it was not far from there to the stadium; he lived “from a small business. He raised and sold goats. He got a little money from the Athletics Federation, from which he bought food. Not everyone in Gambia is like him - but Momodou belongs to the lower average. ”
Now in California he receives "the complete package: he has physiotherapy, the state of the vertebrae is taken care of, a psychologist speaks to him." So that he does not suffer a culture shock. He taught me everything about nutrition. ”The trainer sees immense potential. Alexandra Wester sums up: “Despite its size, Momo is still taking small steps. He has to manage to open his crotch, his left side has to be strengthened. He never really did speed runs in his previous training; now he's out of breath for the first time. "
It is conceivable that "it will go off like a rocket" and that "a deep ten" will soon run over the 100 meters, that is, a time at the border to nine-point highs. "But you have to adapt to a system," and how quickly it can be done, if at all, "There is no formula for this. Momodou is incredibly grateful and takes things super fast. At the same time, he is an athlete who is concerned about not meeting expectations. ”So you don't know how the story will go.
But what Alexandra Wester senses: how her role inspires her. She also has to make sure that she does so in June at the German Championships in Braunschweig that she is nominated for the Olympic Games. “At the end of a day, I'm ready,” she says, “but in a positive way. It's the best preparation for the Olympics I've ever had, according to the 25-year-old,” because it's fun to share and to help shape it. ”It motivates them when they see how Sey is received in America. "He is so warm. Those who get to know him fall in love with him. "
She provides information about Momodou's progress on her Instagram channel, which has 63,000 followers. Alexandra Wester has also modeled and advertised the broadcasts from the German Athletics Championship for ZDF 2019 in a football broadcast from Munich's Allianz Arena. "Reach," she says, "is not only there to post pretty selfies, but also to convey values." She feels the support of her community, she learns how to follow Momodou's path in The Gambia.
And she is pleased that opportunities are also open to him in training. Momodou Sey is working to pass the English language test TOEFL, and has the prospect of a college scholarship. "His life changes." That will stay the same, no matter how athletic it goes on.
Sure: If Alexandra Wester could wish for something, then "that my friend Joshiko, Momodou and I will make it to the Olympic Games." Your partner Joshiku Saibou, now under contract in Bonn, plays for the German national basketball team on June 23 goes to their Olympic qualifying tournament. "The three of us in Tokyo - that would be my Olympic fairy tale."
It could come true.