A 15-year-old girl from Maduteng, who trained with an improvised wooden stick carved by her teacher, has won the only gold medal for the Upper West Region at the National Basic Schools Sports Festival in Accra.

Alberta Mumaah, a Basic Seven student of Saamambo JHS in the Wa West District, stunned the nation with a 32-metre throw to win gold in the girls’ javelin event.

Her remarkable journey from a village athlete training with a wooden stick to becoming a national champion has now earned her a life-changing reward.

The Member of Parliament for Wa West, Supt. (Rtd) Peter Lanchene Toobu, has adopted Alberta, pledging to pay her school fees and cover the full cost of her sports training until she completes her education.

At a ceremony held at Wechiau, the MP also presented her with cash and announced that he would buy three brand-new standard javelins for her training. He has since fulfilled that pledge.

Setting the tone for the ceremony was the Deputy Upper West Regional Physical Education Coordinator, Moomin Ishahaque, a native of Wa West and former District PE Coordinator for the area.

He recounted how the Upper West Region travelled to Accra for the competition and returned with several medals, but only one gold — and that gold came from Wa West.

“In the 35th edition of the National Basic Schools Sports Festival in Accra, Upper West Region, we participated in athletics and we didn't come home empty-handed. We brought a lot of medals. Unfortunately, we had one gold in javelin throw, girls. And the only gold medal Upper West brought, the athlete comes from Wa West,” he stated.

Behind Alberta’s triumph is a story of grit, determination and improvisation.

According to her trainer at Saamambo JHS, Seidu Osman, the school did not have a javelin when Alberta began training.

Alberta had initially joined the school as a footballer, but the school needed someone to compete in the javelin event.

“We started with a stick. I made the stick myself and we started with it,” the trainer recounted. “It was a little bit heavier than the normal javelin. That is what we used.”

The improvised wooden stick became the unlikely tool that helped produce a national champion.

Alberta recorded a throw of 28 metres at her first inter-schools competition before improving to 30 metres to win at the Wa West and inter-district competitions.

She then produced her best effort yet — 32 metres — in Accra to secure the national gold medal.

“Can you imagine that out of the whole country, Basic Schools Sports National, a young lady from Saamambo JHS, born and bred in Maduteng, was taken to the national level and she came back with the only gold,” Hon. Toobu said.

“The only gold for Upper West, and that gold is coming to Wa West District.”

Supt. (Rtd) Toobu, who could not hide his pride in Alberta’s achievement, pledged to support her through her education and sports career.

“Apart from what you are holding, I am buying three brand-new javelins for you to use for training,” he told her.

“Alberta, your school fees from today is in my pocket. Your training cost from today will come from my pocket.”

He, however, charged her to remain disciplined as she develops her talent.

“The discipline that you require to go forward must come from you, guided by your teachers, your parents and society. Remain disciplined and we assure you, you can go far,” he advised.

Supt. (Rtd) Toobu said he believes Alberta has the potential to become an international medalist for Ghana.

“I believe that as you mature into the senior level, you will continue winning gold for Wa West and, in the future, we can find an international gold medalist coming from Ghana, coming from Upper West, coming from Wa West, coming from Saamambo and coming from Maduteng,” he said.

The headmaster of Saamambo JHS, represented by Abdullah Ibrahim, thanked the MP for his support and urged students to take sports seriously.

“This is an indication that sports is not something we should be taking lightly. This lady has made a mark nationally and it is a sign that whatever we find ourselves doing, we should try to do our best and make sure that we promote the name of Upper West and Ghana at large,” he said.

He also appealed to the MP to support Alberta’s potential entry into the security services in the future.

“This lady is a material for the forces. So, if she's able to complete, we would like you to help her gain a chance into our forces so that she will continue there and make us proud,” Mr Ibrahim appealed.

For Alberta, the camera-shy 15-year-old from Maduteng, the journey from throwing a heavy wooden stick at Saamambo JHS to standing on a national podium in Accra may only be the beginning.