The Olympics are always a wellspring of heartwarming stories about sportsmanship and generosity. Paris 2024 was no different. Rapper Flavor Flav flew a Paralympian’s family to the games to watch her. The US figure skating team finally enjoyed a medal ceremony they’ve been owed since Beijing. And 14-year-old skateboarder’s parents gave her a pet duck after she won a medal. But the most heartwarming story of all might be that of bicyclist Ese Ukpeseraye.

Nigeria is a 230-million-person coastal country in West Africa that is approximately the size of California. It first competed in the Summer Olympics in 1952, and has been coming back ever since. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nigeria was represented by runners, swimmers, boxers, soccer players, weightlifters, basketball players, and many more athletes. It sent 88 athletes to these games. But Ese Ukpeseraye set herself apart.

The 25-year-old was the first Nigerian–man or woman–to compete in an Olympic bicycle event. Ever.

Ukpeseraye went to Paris for the women’s road race. Sadly, she was one of many athletes unable to complete the grueling 96-mile route. She said, “It was an honour to represent Nigeria at this level. Although I couldn’t finish the race, being here is a victory in itself.” And it seemed as if her 2024 Olympic story was over. But it had only just begun.

The International Olympic Committee reached out to the Nigerian team to say that another country had been disqualified from women’s bicycle sprint and keirin (a sprint on a banked track). They had a spot for Ukpeseraye. Despite Ukpeseraye having trained for the complete opposite type of bicycle racing, she leapt at the opportunity to represent Nigeria again. There was only one problem, her long distance bicycle wouldn’t work for the sprint.

But Ukpeseraye was miraculously able to compete in both events. She later posted. “In the spirit of sportsmanship, the German team @bunddeutscherradfahr came to my rescue by offering me a bicycle. Thank you.”

The post generated a bit of controversy. Many Nigerian commentators were critical of the Nigerian team organizers for being unprepared. This seems a bit harsh though, considering Ese Ukpeseraye is the first-ever Nigerian bicyclist in the Olympics. I can’t imagine why the team would pack a sprint bicycle, just in case.

Nigeria’s sports minister has since stepped in to make it clear that it was his federation which contacted a manufacturer and lined up the loaner after Ukpeseraye posted about the problem on social media. The Canyon bicycle manufacturer–which is based in Germany–has since posted a thanks to the German team for sharing a bicycle. However Ese Ukpeseraye’s loaner bicycle happened, it is yet another example of the sportsmanship and international cooperation that makes the Olympic games such a joy to watch. Here’s to hoping we see her represent Nigeria again in Los Angeles in 2028.