Every player dreams of Olympics, but not everyone qualifies for them. But there’s still hope. The number of athletes participating in the Olympics increases every year. Around 100 is an all-time Olympic medal count of South Africa. Although qualifying for the Olympics does not ensure a spot on a team, qualifying for it is the first phase of success. Becoming an Olympic level athlete requires a lot of hard work and effort, and only a few receive a coveted place in this program

I’m Akwasi Frimpong, Ghana’s first Skeleton Olympian, and you can read my story for inspiration.  Here’s a step by step guide to qualify for the Olympics and secure a spot in the world’s foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating:

1.  Follow International Foundation’s Rules:

It is necessary to adhere to all the procedures and policies of the International Federation to take part in Olympics. These policies include country, national, training and other policies. The player should be the national of the country they’re applying from, to represent their country on the international sports platform. Connect with the National Olympic Committee of your country as it is made to help the athletes to enter the Olympics.

2.  Age Limit:

Although there is no defined age limit for Olympics, International Sports Federations can frame rules and regulations for age limit. You should comply with those rules to become part of the Olympics.  The criterion is set keeping in view the training time to become an Olympic level athlete.

3. Countries You Can Represent:

If you hold a nationality of more than one country, only then you can qualify in the Olympics to represent two countries at a time. However, if you hold the nationality of only one country, you can only represent it.

4.  Accommodation:

Olympics athletes don’t have to stress about accommodation or its expenses as Olympians are provided with all facilities, including food and shelter, during two weeks of the Olympics. Olympics Village is created for the Olympians’ rest and dining near the Olympics stadium where Olympians stay and enjoy all the facilities provided for their convenience. All Olympians live together in Olympian Village under one roof and enjoy their time after games together.

5.  Sport You Play:

Although Olympics cover most of the sports played worldwide, the sport you’re interested in might fall into that list—but what to do if the sport you play is not there? Don’t panic. If the sport you play is not played in the Olympics but is played worldwide, you can get it registered with the help of the International Federation. If a sport is governed by International Federation and meets the Olympics set criteria, Olympics governing body may add the sport to the program.

As a former Olympian athlete from Ghana and an athlete motivational speaker, I highly recommend you to read my story for inspiration. I was a newbie too who didn’t know anything about Olympics qualification, but I didn’t lose hope and kept going until I represented Africans in Winter Olympics. You can follow in my footsteps too and achieve your goal. If you’re someone who wants to achieve his Olympics dream as I did, shop my collection and show your support to others too who don’t give up on their dreams because dreaming big is the first step to success.

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