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Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, wide known arsenic “The Snow Leopard,” made past arsenic the archetypal Ghanaian to vie successful the Winter Olympics.
Born on December 19, 1974, successful Glasgow, Scotland, Kwame's travel to the snowy slopes of Vancouver 2010 was thing but ordinary.
He grew up successful the UK and aboriginal moved to Milton Keynes. It was determination that helium took his archetypal steps into skiing albeit not connected existent snow, but connected an artificial slope wherever helium worked.
While astir athletes commencement grooming astatine a young age, Kwame lone learnt to skis arsenic an adult, but his passionateness and determination rapidly acceptable him apart.
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He told the BBC however helium rapidly learnt the sport:
It took maine astir 30 minutes to larn however to ski... After my archetypal 30 infinitesimal lesson, I was determination each azygous day. The infinitesimal I was not moving oregon was connected a time off, you’d find maine connected the skis slope.
Olympic imagination begins
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In 2004, astatine a Ski Show event, helium and his manager caught the attraction of Fergie Miller from Base Camp Group. Inspired by Kwame's imagination of skiing successful the Olympics, Miller helped nonstop him to Méribel successful France, which was his archetypal acquisition connected existent snow.
Though tense astatine first, Kwame adapted quickly, and soon helium was grooming with erstwhile French skis squad members Pascal Blanc and Didier Schmidt, focusing connected slalom and elephantine slalom events.
His archetypal effort to suffice for the 2006 Winter Olympics successful Italy was chopped abbreviated aft his formation to a qualifying lawsuit successful Iran was cancelled owed to atrocious weather. But Kwame didn’t springiness up.
Becoming archetypal Ghanaian Winter Olympian
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By 2009, helium had qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics, earning the required points to correspond Ghana. Competing successful the men’s slalom, helium finished 53rd retired of 102. A arrogant infinitesimal for the country.
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There was thing that could halt him from realising this imagination erstwhile helium acceptable retired to execute this astonishing feat. Kwame shared that contempt the challenges of starting late, his absorption was lone connected attaining that historical feat.
I wanted to amusement radical that you could suffice for the Olympics, not knowing however to skis and I did it, truthful occupation done.
Kwame's foundation initiatives
Off the slopes, Kwame is conscionable arsenic passionate astir giving back. He formed the Ghanaian Winter Olympic Association and pushed for the instauration of Ghana’s archetypal artificial skis slope successful Mamfe, hoping to animate the adjacent procreation of Ghanaian skiers.
He’s besides supported charities similar Sabre, which builds schools successful deprived parts of Ghana, and adjacent donates to causes protecting the endangered snowfall leopard, the carnal that inspired his nickname.
His efforts gained planetary recognition. Canadian creator Ashley MacIsaac wrote a opus titled “Dreams” successful his honour, and Kwame himself played accepted Ghanaian drums connected the track. The opus raised funds for his causes and was released during the 2010 Olympics.
Kwame's idiosyncratic life
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Kwame has besides made appearances connected television, including a diagnostic successful Season 9 of the ITV amusement Airline. Despite the attention, helium remains grounded successful household life. He is joined to Sena, a caput astatine the Open University, and they person 2 children, Ellice and Jason.
Although helium is not related to Ghana’s archetypal president Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Nkrumah-Acheampong has carved retired his ain legacy.
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His communicative of perseverance, pride, and passionateness continues to animate galore young Africans to pursuit their dreams adjacent if it looks unattainable owed to their background.
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