Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong takes centre stage at the winter Olympics in Canada.

THERE'S not a lot of snow in Ghana. None in fact.
It's in the heart of sub-Saharan West Africa, for goodness sake.

So it's little surprise that, in a population of 24million, you can count the number of world-ranked Ghanaian skiers on the fingers of one, er, finger.

More surprising is the fact that Ghana's one-man ski team, Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, is preparing to take on the world's best after qualifying for next week's Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Dubbed the Snow Leopard, the 35-year-old father-of-two only saw snow for the first time ten years ago - at Heathrow Airport - and stepped on to a snow-covered mountain for the first time just six years ago, in France.

He admits that being the first Ghanaian Winter Olympian - let alone being the first downhill skier - is an achievement.

He says: "I think it was like sending a Ghanaian to the moon. I feel great about competing and all my friends in Ghana think it is really cool. I'm very proud of my heritage and being a role model for other Africans and Ghanaians to follow their dream. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it."

He likens his story to that of the 1988 Jamaican Olympic bobsleigh team who competed in Calgary and inspired the hugely successful 1993 film Cool Runnings.

He says: "The Jamaican team did actually try hard to have very fast push-off times, really moving down the course.

"Not all the factors were right for them and they crashed, but if they hadn't, they would have done a really good time. So I love being compared to Cool Runnings."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2838302/Kwame-Nkrumah-Acheampong-Africas-skiing-star.html



----
I saw this guy on Eurosport and I was like. . .Mehnnn!!! I don my hat for him.
This is inspiring!!!

Yeah I caught this on TV too sometime ago and after I stopped laughing for about 5 mins , I was able to salute the guy. This is very brave and should be commended.

FBS maybe you sef should set the trend and become the first Nigerian skier at the olympics?

haha

I've heard of the guy before now- he was supposed to be in one of the previous olympics too.


African skier

Jamaican bob sled team



what next.

the next thing na african eskimo.
we are getting there.

just saw another one. First black speed skater- Shani Davis, of Chicago


he won the gold at the 2006 winter olympics

Surya Bonaly- professional figure skater

You know initially, we were not meant/allowed to play golf. . .but guess who the best golfer is today?

Very soon we will take over swimming, skiing, hockey etc. . .just watch and see.


@JeSoul, lol. . . Don't be surprised to see  my name as the first Nigeria/African to do something spectacular.

tpia.:

just saw another one. First black speed skater- Shani Davis, of Chicago


he won the gold at the 2006 winter olympics

Nah Shani Davis is a big name in winter olympics sport.

Its one thing for an African-american who grew up here and had exposure to it and all the opportunities and facilities to train . . .

quite another for a hardcore Ghanian who arrived only 10 yrs ago, picked it up at 25yrs old to be participating at a competitive level.

Oya which of you Nigerians here is going to represent us? FBS has already hinted it won't be him on the slopes anytime soon