When I look back at my life, it’s easy to point out the challenges: growing up in Ghana without much money, moving to the Netherlands and living as an undocumented immigrant for years, being rejected from sports teams, and getting injured again and again. But those struggles didn’t break me; they shaped me. They forced me to dig deeper, work harder, and find belief in myself when nobody else did.
I didn’t set out to become Ghana’s first skeleton winter Olympian because I thought it was easy. I did it because I knew I had something to prove, not just to the world, but to the little boy inside me who once thought his dreams didn’t matter. Struggle, when you face it head-on, becomes the fire that fuels everything. That’s how you start to build a life you love.
Turning “No” Into Motivation
Growing up in a one-room home in Kumasi, Ghana, I knew what it meant to go without. When we moved to the Netherlands, life got even tougher. I didn’t have legal papers, which meant no real opportunities. People told me no before I even had the chance to try. No to school. No to sports. No to dreaming big.
But I made a choice: I was going to find a “yes.” Every time someone told me I couldn’t, I trained harder. When I wasn’t allowed to compete, I ran on my own. When people looked at me and saw limits, I imagined what was possible. That mindset of resilience, hunger, and belief is the same mindset that helps you push through as an entrepreneur, a student, an athlete, or whatever path you choose. You take rejection and turn it into fuel. This helps you build a life you love.
Lessons From the Ice Track
Skeleton is one of the most dangerous and intense sports on earth. You lie face down on a sled and hurl yourself down an ice track at 80 miles per hour. It’s terrifying, but also thrilling. That track taught me more than speed. It taught me focus. It taught me to trust my preparation. And most of all, it reminded me that the journey to build a life you love means risking failure, again and again.
When I became Ghana’s first skeleton winter Olympian, I didn’t just represent a country. I represented every person who thinks they’re too poor, too different, or too far behind to make it. I want you to know, your background isn’t your limit as an entrepreneur. It’s your launchpad.
The Life You Love Starts Now
You don’t have to wait for the perfect moment or ideal conditions. Start with what you have. Work with what’s in front of you. And never forget that the struggles you’re facing today might just be the story that inspires someone else tomorrow.
If I can build a life I love from the shadows of poverty and rejection, so can you. Dream big. Work hard. Keep going.
My journey from skeleton athlete to entrepreneur and philanthropist has been a wild one, but it’s rooted in the same principles that helped me become Ghana’s first skeleton winter Olympian. The lessons I learned about resilience, resourcefulness, and a refusal to give up are the same ones that can help you succeed in business and life. I’m now focused on helping others, especially entrepreneurs and kids from underserved backgrounds, build a life they love.
My foundation, Hope Of A Billion, is dedicated to giving children across the globe the tools and belief they need to chase their own big dreams. We’re empowering the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. The official Olympics Instagram page recently highlighted our efforts, and you can see what they had to say.
You can also join me on this mission by making a donation.
Come along with me on this journey, and let’s change the world together.
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