Performance Advocate
Akwasi Frimpong Making History — Ghana ’ s First Olympian Skeleton Athlete
From Ghana to the Netherlands , to Utah Valley University , to Pyeongchang and beyond , Ghanaian athlete Akwasi Frimpong finally achieves his Olympic dreams .
M ost athletes who dream of becoming
Olympians must work incredibly hard for years on end to even qualify for such a chance . For Ghanaian native Akwasi Frimpong , the journey to the 2018 Winter Olympics took more than just hard work — it required him to overcome obstacle after obstacle , and to never give up on himself or his dream . After facing challenges like gaining citizenship and overcoming devastating injuries , Akwasi is finally living out his dream of being an Olympian .
A Long Journey
Akwasi ’ s story begins in Ghana , where he spent the first few years of his life living with his grandmother and nine other grandchildren while his mother traveled to the Netherlands to secure a better life for her children . In 1995 , Akwasi moved to the Netherlands where he faced many challenges as an illegal immigrant . It took more than a decade of hard work for Akwasi to gain Dutch citizenship , during which time Akwasi struggled to find a school that would accept him .
During his early years in the Netherlands , Akwasi soon discovered he was a fast runner — something he realized during physical education at school . Although he was fast , Akwasi didn ’ t think he had much interest in running until a neighbor showed him a medal he had won in a race . Akwasi remembers thinking that he had never won a medal or trophy in his entire life , and he wanted to know what it felt like to win . Akwasi thought , “ If he can do it , I can do it .”
This desire to win led Akwasi to join the track team , where it didn ’ t take long before he got the chance to know what it felt like to win .
Overcoming Obstacles
After experiencing success as a sprinter during his teen years , Akwasi had dreams of competing in the Olympics . He hoped to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics , however an injury quickly derailed these dreams and he was forced to take time away from training to recover .
For the next few years , Akwasi took a break from his Olympic pursuits and focused on his education and career . He attended Utah Valley University in Orem , Utah , where he obtained a degree in Marketing , and met his wife , Erica .
In 2013 , after recovering from his injury , Akwasi was asked to join the Dutch bobsled team because of his speed . Once again , Akwasi dreamed of making it to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi , but only one sled from the Dutch team qualified that year — leaving Akwasi behind as an alternate .
At this point , Akwasi had fought a difficult citizenship battle , overcome injury , and even switched sports , without having gone to the Olympics . However , he still felt the desire to be an Olympian and knew that his goal of going to the Olympics was still “ unfinished business .” With the support of his wife and encouragement from coaches , Akwasi reignited his dreams of Olympic success as he began to train to compete as a skeleton athlete . He quickly fell in love with the sport , and decided not to give up on his dream of going to the Olympics . Finally , Akwasi ’ s dream came to fruition as he qualified for
the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang , where he would represent his home country of Ghana .
Representing a Nation
As the first West African to compete in the skeleton , Akwasi feels an immense responsibility to represent his home country and make them proud . He said , “ I ’ ve done a lot in the Netherlands , I ’ ve done a lot in the U . S ., and it ’ s time to do something for my country .” Akwasi has received overwhelming support from the people of Ghana , especially the
22 / SPRING 2018 LIVING MAGAZINE