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 Photos

cover caption

toggle caption

Kirill KudryavtsevAFP/by way of Getty Photos

For these not accustomed to 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 truly 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 ultimately acquired Dutch citizenship. He additionally took up observe within the Netherlands, and later bobsled, then skeleton. In 2018, he grew to become the primary male Black African skeleton racer to compete within the Olympics. (That very same yr, Simidele Adeagbo grew to become the primary feminine Black African skeleton athlete within the Olympics, competing on Nigeria’s group.)

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 throughout the Males’s Skeleton heats at Olympic Sliding Centre on February 16, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (

Richard Heathcote/Getty Photos

cover caption

toggle caption

Richard Heathcote/Getty Photos

This interview has been edited for size and readability.

On being a bobsled braker: “The man who makes positive 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 discipline by a coach who was a two-time summer time Olympian. He actually believed that someday I might turn into an Olympian [in sprinting]. And since he believed in me, I began believing in myself and labored arduous towards that dream of going to the Summer season Olympics.

I acquired so far as being a part of the Netherlands pre-Olympic 4×100 meter relay group for the 2012 London Olympic Video games, however because of a tendon damage, I wasn’t in a position to make it to the ultimate group.

After that, I used to be recruited by the Netherlands bobsled group due to my pace as a sprinter, to turn into a brakeman — the man who makes positive 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 house to listen to if somebody acquired 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 checklist nonetheless, apart from being married to you — you shouldn’t overlook to inform your spouse that.” And he or she 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 attempt skeleton, going head first. At first I used to be like “Hell no, no please.” Bobsled was already loopy. Lengthy story quick, I gave skeleton a shot. At first it was like “Oh my gosh, that is scary.” However as I made it down, I needed to return to the highest and do it once more.

Why did you determine to compete for Ghana as a substitute of the Netherlands?

My “why” needed to be larger than myself. I might compete for the Netherlands, the place I might get extra sources, extra help, however I made a decision to compete for Ghana to do one thing that hadn’t been executed earlier than, actually train folks to return out of their consolation zone.

I needed to characterize the folks of my nation, 30 million folks, ship a message again house of what’s attainable if you work arduous, consider in your self and by no means surrender.

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 easy accessibility to Western tracks as a Ghanaian athlete. There are solely 17 tracks [for bobsled and skeleton] on the earth, so there was a whole lot 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: “Concern is an enormous a part of it, you must learn to embrace it.” 

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 a whole lot of dash coaching. However there’s nonetheless a lot talent and method you must study, even for the push off. After that, you are on a cookie sheet sled and it is like “dude, good luck.”

Concern is an enormous a part of it, you must learn to embrace it.

What was it like coming right into a sport dominated by wealthier, whiter nations?

At first, folks undoubtedly have a look at you somewhat 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 if 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 modifications a bit. However it’s a fantastic group, for positive.

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 folks, that itself was price gold.

I used to be additionally actually proud to wave the flag of my nation and ship a message again house to all the youngsters strolling barefoot or people who suppose that they do not have something occurring for themselves, to hopefully encourage them and empower them.

The reception was unbelievable from everywhere in the world, not simply from Africa. We acquired messages about folks eager to attempt 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 needed to be the African athlete who simply made headlines, I needed to be aggressive. After 2018, I knew I might get higher however wanted the sources and help 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 turn into profitable within the sport. That does not imply you are at all times going to make the Olympic Video games, however I’ve competed in 5 World Championships, grew to become 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 tools problem, however the sport can also be simply getting extra aggressive.

Quick ahead just a few weeks later, and [I] realized it was perhaps for a superb 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 in all probability would’ve ignored the ache and will 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 in another way on the earth.”

What’s subsequent?

My spouse and I’ve a basis, known as the Hope of a Billion basis. We go all over the world and train children about resilience and domesticate their inherent energy to go after their targets and goals. We go into the faculties and we train them about rules that I realized to go after my targets and goals. , consider in your self, work arduous, by no means surrender.

It is about actually, actually serving to these children 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 in another way on the earth. They present up in another way in school. They get up somewhat 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 will seize my sled every so often for enjoyable, however I am at peace with it. Now I hope to mentor, to educate, to assist others in underrepresented nations within the sport. I am not executed being concerned in inspiring.