for me. You know, my former coach, Sammy Monsels, who recruited me when I was fifteen-year-old as a Track and Field athlete always told me one thing and that is; "always use the negative and turn it into something positive". I struggled a lot earlier in my life and most people do not know how intense my struggle was. Today most know that I am trying to go to the Olympics and some are going to make statements like; ‘another African trying to do something crazy’, or; oh, he is just trying to get publicity and all that.
But no, that’s not what I am about. I’m about performance, I’m about working hard. I had struggled so much in life, along with my family that this was a way to show myself that; I can do anything.
My obstacles and all other challenges and struggles, made me tenacious, resilient, and determined and ambitious that I can do whatever I set out to do. So, in doing things, the first statement is to myself that I can do it and then to prove to those who ever doubted me that I am as capable as anyone out there. Then there are the people who have supported me in my life, I want to prove to all of them as well as inspire them that it is possible to achieve your dreams no matter how hard life can be.
ASM: That is truly awesome motivation I have to say. Now we know that the number one sport in Ghana is football. And the number two is boxing, then Track and Field follows naturally So my question is as a Ghanaian the obvious cliché question would be, can you play football?
Akwasi Frimpong: Actually, it’s funny that you ask me that. You see when I was a kid in the Netherlands I was actually invited by (Ajax), you know. But I was a little older then than what most clubs desire. You know in soccer and a lot of other sports in Europe you have to start when you are like six years old to actually make it into their leagues later on in life. I always loved playing soccer and I was really good, I was however too fast for the ball. I was so fast for the ball that sometimes I would run past the ball; I used to play defense then on occasion I would play right forward and left forward. Then on some other times I would play striker. I was pretty much an all-rounder and played all the positions, so to answer your question; Yes, I know how to play soccer and I love it, because it is the sport that bring us together as Africans.
ASM: As a pioneer in your sport for Ghana, how do you think your participation in the Winter Olympics will impact the younger generation in Ghana as well as sports administrators to diversify support for sports in the nation?
Akwasi Frimpong: You know we have already started making an impact. I haven’t made it yet to the Olympics, but I did go to the World Championships a couple of years ago and the fact is that I was the very first West African in history to actually participate in an ice sliding sports at the World Championships which was held in Germany in 2016. So, a buzz has already been created. We are established and do have a good relationship with the Ghana Olympic Committee as well as with the Ghana Sports Authority. We have also been able to meet with the Sports Minister himself and explain the sport to him by showing him videos, and they are all backing us and being supportive as far as trying a different sport for the country.
My main goal is; I want to impact the young kids a lot, because like I said at the beginning of this interview not everybody can be Abedi Pele. I’m mentioning him because he was one of my favorite soccer players in Ghana, neither a Usain Bolt. I believe that there are lot of talents out there that we need to reach out to, to try something different. And I think one of the most important thing for the young generation, is to come out of there comfort zone and that’s one of the biggest things for me, because I myself had to do that. I had to come out of my comfort zone to be where I am today, and I truly believe that God chose me to go head first and bang myself against the wall to show people that its possible. I definitely think kids need to come out of their comfort zone and that the sky is the limit for them. They can achieve so much more, and it doesn’t have to be just bobsled or skeleton. I just want to show them that an African can transition into something different that they dream of, and that it doesn’t