Ghana’s Akwasi Frimpong takes half in a coaching session for the boys’s skeleton occasion within the 2018 Olympics.
Kirill KudryavtsevAFP/by way of Getty Pictures
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Kirill KudryavtsevAFP/by way of Getty Pictures
For these not aware of the game of skeleton, the place the solo sledder lies flat on their abdomen, head first, Akwasi Frimpong sums it up: “You are on a cookie sheet sled and it is like ‘dude, good luck.'”
Skeleton was really the third sport Frimpong took as much as chase his dream of changing into an Olympian.
Born in Ghana, Frimpong moved to the Netherlands when he was 8 as an undocumented immigrant. He finally bought Dutch citizenship. He additionally took up observe within the Netherlands, and later bobsled, then skeleton. In 2018, he turned the primary male Black African skeleton racer to compete within the Olympics. (That very same yr, Simidele Adeagbo turned the primary feminine Black African skeleton athlete within the Olympics, competing on Nigeria’s workforce.)
NPR spoke with Frimpong in regards to the challenges of being an African athlete in a predominantly white sport, his basis known as Hope of a Billion and why not qualifying for the Olympics this yr could have saved his life.
Akwasi Frimpong of Ghana moved from sprinting to bobsledding to skeleton. reacts within the end space through the Males’s Skeleton heats at Olympic Sliding Centre on February 16, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (
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Richard Heathcote/Getty Pictures
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
On being a bobsled braker: “The man who makes certain that on the finish, he breaks — so no one dies”
Are you able to inform me a bit about your journey into skeleton? How does somebody from Ghana get into this sport?
After I was 15, I used to be recruited in observe and area by a coach who was a two-time summer time Olympian. He actually believed that at some point I might develop into an Olympian [in sprinting]. And since he believed in me, I began believing in myself and labored exhausting towards that dream of going to the Summer season Olympics.
I bought so far as being a part of the Netherlands pre-Olympic 4×100 meter relay workforce for the 2012 London Olympic Video games, however on account of a tendon damage, I wasn’t in a position to make it to the ultimate workforce.
After that, I used to be recruited by the Netherlands bobsled workforce due to my pace as a sprinter, to develop into a brakeman — the man who makes certain that on the finish he breaks so no one dies. I used to be the second alternate for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Video games, that means I needed to wait at dwelling to listen to if somebody bought injured. Fortunately, nobody did, which additionally meant that for the second time my dream did not come true.
That should’ve been disappointing. What did you do subsequent?
I completed college. However I could not discover a job straight away, so I went promoting Kirby vacuums door to door. After a few years, I keep in mind in the summertime of 2015, my spouse checked out me and mentioned “one thing’s bugging you” and I used to be like, “I’ve that one factor on my bucket listing nonetheless, in addition to being married to you — you shouldn’t neglect to inform your spouse that.” And she or he mentioned “Akwasi, I do not need you to be 99 years outdated and nonetheless whining about your Olympic dream.”
I used to be recruited then to strive skeleton, going head first. At first I used to be like “Hell no, no please.” Bobsled was already loopy. Lengthy story brief, I gave skeleton a shot. At first it was like “Oh my gosh, that is scary.” However as I made it down, I wished to return to the highest and do it once more.
Why did you determine to compete for Ghana as an alternative of the Netherlands?
My “why” needed to be larger than myself. I might compete for the Netherlands, the place I might get extra assets, extra assist, however I made a decision to compete for Ghana to do one thing that hadn’t been accomplished earlier than, actually educate individuals to return out of their consolation zone.
I wished to signify the individuals of my nation, 30 million individuals, ship a message again dwelling of what’s attainable once you work exhausting, imagine in your self and by no means quit.
Did that call have an effect on how simple it was to coach?
We do not have our personal skeleton observe in Ghana, and I haven’t got as quick access to Western tracks as a Ghanaian athlete. There are solely 17 tracks [for bobsled and skeleton] on this planet, so there was loads of touring concerned. I skilled in Utah but in addition traveled to Lake Placid, Canada, Europe and Asia to get some further coaching in.
On what it takes to do skeleton: “Worry is an enormous a part of it, it’s important to discover ways to embrace it.”Â
How do you prepare for skeleton? I think about it is totally different from observe and even bobsled?
Being a quick sprinter helps, [because of the running start] and I did loads of dash coaching. However there’s nonetheless a lot ability and approach it’s important to study, even for the push off. After that, you are on a cookie sheet sled and it is like “dude, good luck.”
Worry is an enormous a part of it, it’s important to discover ways to embrace it.
What was it like coming right into a sport dominated by wealthier, whiter nations?
To start with, individuals positively have a look at you slightly bit totally different — large eyeballs, and are like “oh my gosh, the place are you from, what are you doing right here?”
The athletes actually like you a large number once you come as a result of they’re like “oh there is a child from Africa that I can beat” till you begin beating them. Then the dynamic adjustments a bit. Nevertheless it’s an important neighborhood, for certain.
You ended up qualifying and competing within the 2018 video games. What was that like?
A dream come true. To be the primary Black male from Africa to compete in skeleton, representing 1.4 billion individuals, that itself was value gold.
I used to be additionally actually proud to wave the flag of my nation and ship a message again dwelling to all the youngsters strolling barefoot or those that suppose that they do not have something occurring for themselves, to hopefully encourage them and empower them.
The reception was unimaginable from all around the world, not simply from Africa. We obtained messages about individuals desirous to strive the game, from Mexico, Malaysia, NIgeria, Togo, Ivory Coast.
You stored on racing even after the video games. What motivated you?
I by no means wished to be the African athlete who simply made headlines, I wished to be aggressive. After 2018, I knew I might get higher however wanted the assets and assist to get higher. Financing has been a troublesome factor to do, discover new sponsors, new companions. You have got a household, a mortgage, it will get costly.
However I’ve develop into profitable within the sport. That does not imply you are all the time going to make the Olympic Video games, however I’ve competed in 5 World Championships, turned the primary African to win an elite skeleton race in Park Metropolis, Utah.
You ended up not qualifying for the 2026 video games. What occurred?
I really feel like I did very well by way of execution and sliding, however sadly it wasn’t ok to make it. A part of it was an gear problem, however the sport can be simply getting extra aggressive.
Quick ahead just a few weeks later, and [I] realized it was possibly for a very good purpose. I simply had surgical procedure final week for a ruptured appendix. The ache began on February 6, [the day of] the opening ceremony. If I would have been in Italy, I most likely would’ve ignored the ache and should not have been right here to speak proper now.
On being an altruist: “When you possibly can assist a child discover your ardour, they transfer otherwise on this planet.”
What’s subsequent?
My spouse and I’ve a basis, known as the Hope of a Billion basis. We go around the globe and educate youngsters about resilience and domesticate their inherent energy to go after their targets and desires. We go into the faculties and we educate them about ideas that I discovered to go after my targets and desires. You recognize, imagine in your self, work exhausting, by no means quit.
It is about actually, actually serving to these youngsters showcase that they’ve one thing particular inside them and assist them discover their ardour. When you possibly can assist a child discover your ardour, they transfer otherwise on this planet. They present up otherwise at college. They get up slightly bit earlier. They do issues completely totally different.
Are you hanging up the sled now?
I turned 40 a pair days in the past, this was my final hurrah. Possibly I am going to seize my sled once in a while for enjoyable, however I am at peace with it. Now I hope to mentor, to teach, to assist others in underrepresented nations within the sport. I am not accomplished being concerned in inspiring.
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