The Olympic wit and knowledge of an African skeleton racer : NPR

For these not conversant in 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 group.)

NPR spoke with Frimpong concerning 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 might have saved his life.

Akwasi Frimpong of Ghana moved from sprinting to bobsledding to skeleton. reacts within the end space in the course of the Males’s Skeleton heats at Olympic Sliding Centre on February 16, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (

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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 person 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 season Olympian. He actually believed that at some point I may turn out to be an Olympian [in sprinting]. And since he believed in me, I began believing in myself and labored laborious towards that dream of going to the Summer time Olympics.

I bought so far as being a part of the Netherlands pre-Olympic 4×100 meter relay group for the 2012 London Olympic Video games, however on account of a tendon damage, I wasn’t capable of 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 out to be a brakeman — the man who makes positive that on the finish he breaks so no person dies. I used to be the second alternate for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Video games, which 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 immediately, so I went promoting Kirby vacuums door to door. After a few years, I bear 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, moreover 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 previous 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 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 an alternative of the Netherlands?

My “why” needed to be larger than myself. I may 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 carried out earlier than, actually train folks to return out of their consolation zone.

I needed to signify the folks of my nation, 30 million folks, ship a message again dwelling of what’s doable whenever you work laborious, imagine 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 quick access to Western tracks as a Ghanaian athlete. There are solely 17 tracks [for bobsled and skeleton] on this planet, 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: “Worry is an enormous a part of it, it’s a must to discover ways to embrace it.” 

How do you prepare for skeleton? I think about it is completely 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 it’s a must 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 a must to discover ways to embrace it.

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

At first, folks undoubtedly take a look at you a bit of bit completely different — huge 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 whenever 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. But it surely’s a terrific neighborhood, 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 dwelling to all the children strolling barefoot or those who suppose that they do not have something happening for themselves, to hopefully encourage them and empower them.

The reception was unimaginable from everywhere in the world, not simply from Africa. We obtained messages about folks eager to strive the game, from Mexico, Malaysia, NIgeria, Togo, Ivory Coast.

You saved 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 may get higher however wanted the sources and help to get higher. Financing has been a tricky factor to do, discover new sponsors, new companions. You may have a household, a mortgage, it will get costly.

However I’ve turn out to be 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 rather well when it comes to execution and sliding, however sadly it wasn’t ok to make it. A part of it was an gear problem, however the sport can also be simply getting extra aggressive.

Quick ahead a couple of weeks later, and [I] realized it was perhaps for cause. 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 might 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 train children about resilience and domesticate their inherent energy to go after their objectives and goals. We go into the faculties and we train them about rules that I realized to go after my objectives and goals. You realize, imagine in your self, work laborious, 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 otherwise on this planet. They present up otherwise in school. They get up a bit of bit earlier. They do issues completely completely different.

Are you hanging up the sled now?

I turned 40 a pair days in the past, this was my final hurrah. Perhaps I am going to seize my sled now and again 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 carried out being concerned in inspiring.