A Belgian shot put and hammer throw champion stepped well outside her comfort zone in a bid to save her nation from disqualification at the European Championships in Poland over the weekend.
After two team-mates had to withdraw, Jolien Boumkwo stepped up to tackle the 100m hurdles.
While her time of 32.81s didn't set any records - she carefully negotiated each hurdle in a bid to avoid injury - her team spirit has seen her effort go viral for all the right reasons.
The winner, Teresa Errandonea of Spain, ran 19 seconds quicker.
“We sometimes do hurdles in training, so I know how to do it,” she said after the race, in comments reported by the Guardian.
“I thought it was a special experience, because much more than with the shot put I had the feeling that everyone was looking at me.
“I try not to take myself too seriously as an athlete. The past has taught me that that will only make you cramp. If my two points ensure that we stay in the top division, this will certainly have been worth it.”
Unfortunately her efforts were unable to save Belgium - they were relegated from division one.
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