Akwasi’s goal to go to the Olympics has always been followed closely with motivating others to reach their dreams. This was again his subject when he spoke during the Outcasts Speak Week at Utah Valley University in October. After he introduced himself and a bit of background on his story, students, staff, faculty and the community enjoyed a viewing of his documentary, “The Rabbit Theory.”

Akwasi followed the screening explaining how he persisted with his dreams despite being an outcast in the Netherlands. He again shared his three principles he lives by – the power of believing in yourself, the power of self-discipline and the power of persistence. “I really liked that he gave tribute to his Grandma Minka…. That it’s just a matter of believing in yourself,” said Heidi McClure, a UVU student who attended his speech. “His coach and mentor, Sammy Monsels, told him that self discipline is the mother of all habits, and he should not fear, but compete and block his bad habits. These are things that I try to teach my own children.”

Akwasi’s goal is to inspire people to realize that if this illegal immigrant kid can chase his Olympic dream, then no dream is unreachable. And while he hopes to compete in the Olympics in 2012, the journey, and the learning, are right now. “I was impressed by every single thing (he said). I understood his case very well, because I was in the same situation myself of having a soccer dream and being an immigrant without residency,” said Eli Dotto, a friend and fellow UVU foreign student. “His drive, his focus, his perseverance impressed me. I learned that all outcasts should be given more and extra chances and opportunity. We are all true contenders.” When Akwasi encouraged the audience to “Never stop dreaming. Never stop believing. Dream big and work hard,” many took that straight to heart. “When he started talking about his challenges I got to thinking about my own life and the life of my children and the struggles we’ve endured. I realized that I need to be more positive and teach my children to be thankful for that they are able to accomplish, but to also go beyond that,” McClure said. “I have been teaching my children about setting goals for themselves and reaching beyond that. When Akwasi talked about running in the Netherlands, and his challenges of not having his residency, I knew that I could learn from it how to help my own family. You can’t accomplish anything by sitting on your butt watching TV, or have a goal but not do anything to accomplish it.”

McClure was so moved by his presentation, she went home and started making calls to get his message out to more people. “I want my children to meet him and learn from what he has gone through and how to move forward. How to stay focused on their dreams. I also thought that the kids in my church, neighborhood, my kids’ schools, that special needs children/athletes would benefit from this as well,” McClure said. “Things are not going to be handed to you, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort. But his message on courage needs to get out, so others who are struggling know that they can do it.”

(Maria Jose Corona, October 12, 2011)
Karissa Neely
Freelance CopyWriter

The Rabbit Shares How to Leap

Akwasi Frimpong shared his message of hope with 75 teens at Discovery Academy in Provo, Utah, USA, in July. It was a message that will be taken beyond the state, as all of the students in attendance that day were from all over the United States, with a few from Europe and beyond.

Akwasi first showed his documentary, “The Rabbit Theory,” a movie that shares the struggles he had in gaining his Dutch citizenship and training to be a strong sprinter contending for the 2012 Olympics. The movie originally debuted in the Netherlands in 2010.

After the film, Akwasi then shared with the students exactly what he learned from his struggles. He gave them three principles to live by to achieve their dreams – the power of believing in yourself, the power of self-discipline, and the power of persistence.

Each principle was one he had learned from an important person in his life. Coleen Gleason, teacher and experiential director of Discovery Academy, said the one principle that stuck in her mind was “believing in yourself,” because Akwasi said he learned that one at the age of eight from his Grandma Minka in South Africa.

“It was so personal and yet so applicable to the kids in the audience,” Gleason said.

Discovery Academy is a therapeutic boarding school. The goal of the school is to rehabilitate teens with social and emotional issues.

 “When Akwasi was at the podium, he had everyone’s attention. And in fact, I was amazed at how many kids posed questions to Akwasi. That group is usually kind of quiet and reticent to speak, and they peppered Akwasi with good questions – which is a testament to the interest Akwasi had engendered,” Gleason said. “The other stunning part was watching the boys gather around Akwasi after the experiential was over and not only ask him more questions, but also to ask him to sign their shoes, their shirt, or a piece of paper.  It was great fun to watch this phenomenon and see the excitement in the boys’ faces. This is very unusual with these boys.”

Akwasi also benefitted from the experience. His passion is sharing his story with others in an effort to help them.

“The kids at Discovery Academy inspired me to keep sharing my struggles and triumphs with as many others as possible,” Akwasi said. “They need help in letting go of their anger, and focus on the now, because that is when life changes forever. I’m grateful that they gave me the chance to help them get closer to that life change.”

Utah Valley University is offering a week of insight on what it’s like to be a refugee and relocate to a new country from a few who have traveled that challenging path.

“‘Outcasts Speak’ is a wonderful opportunity for our University community to get a glimpse of life through the eyes of those who have faced, and overcome, tremendous challenges, challenges that many of us could not even imagine having to endure,” said Martha Wilson, program coordinator for UVU’s Student Success & Retention Center. “These are speakers that we can admire and learn from, and be challenged to be more supportive and inclusive of our local refugee communities.”

Wylie will be the week’s first speaker and will talk on refugee insights on Oct. 10 at noon in the Losee Center for Student Success atrium. Kuradusenge, a junior from Rwanda majoring in communications, will speak on Oct. 11 at 12:30 p.m. in the Ragan Theater in the Sorensen Student Center. Frimpong, a senior majoring in business management, will talk Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. in the Ragan Theater. A UVU sprinter and Olympic hopeful, Frimpong was born in Ghana but raised in the Netherlands.

“I will share with the audience my secrets to success, which are the principles I learned as a little outcast kid to survive, to come out of my comfort zone and to overcome trials,” Frimpong said. Read more.

Akwasi Frimpong has qualified to represent the Netherlands and Utah Valley University in the 26th World University Games, the 2011 Summer Universiade held Aug. 12-23. Frimpong will compete in the 100 and 200 meter sprints.

“It has been a long season and I knew it was going to be hard, but I went to Europe with a positive mind set,” Frimpong says. He feels the season has been a success overall with his personal best time of 10.45 seconds in the 100 meters. “I have decided, with my UVU coaches, to take an Olympic redshirt year, so I can prepare better for the 2012 Olympics and not burn my self out. This Olympic redshirting means that I will be part of the track team, but I will not compete for them in meets during the 2011/2012 season.”

Frimpong also recently tried to qualify for the Dutch relay team for the World Championships in South Korea in late August, but was not successful, due to a cramped muscle.

“I have come far this year and I am still ranked third in the Netherlands on the 100 meters. This is something I have worked hard for and I am proud of,” Frimpong says.

Frimpong will continue training for the Olympic Dutch relay team, but he must maintain or improve his Dutch sprinting ranking to travel with the team to the London Olympics.

The XXVI Summer Universiade will be in Shenzhen , Guangdong , China . Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city located directly north of Hong Kong , is a busy port and one of the fastest growing cities in the world.

Follow Akwasi Frimpong via his Facebook page and twitter page to know how he does in
China.

Frimpong hopes to punch ticket to London Olympics at Dutch nationals. From the time Akwasi Frimpong was a small child in Ghana, Africa, he knew what he wanted.”I remember thinking, ‘I want a gold medal,’” he said. “I wanted to have something to show I was the best.”Frimpong has come a long way since then. If the UVU sprinter has his way, it will end with him competing with the best in the 2012 Olympics in London. Earlier this summer, Frimpong earned the chance to punch his ticket when he qualified for the Dutch National Championships with a 100-meter time of 10.45 seconds at the USA Track and Field Championships in Utah. The time ranks him third on the Dutch national team. Read more via PAGE A1  and PAGE B5

During the USA Track & Field Association Championships in Orem, Utah, June 18, 2011, Akwasi Frimpong, alias GoldenSprint, surprised himself by clocking 10.45 seconds in the 100 meter sprint held at the Utah Valley University Hal Wing track. Up to this point, Frimpong had been running 10.71 seconds in the 100 meter sprint, and attributes his latest improvement to solidly focused training. “I have been working on my speed and mechanics for five good weeks. I realized, that for my kind of build, to be a good sprinter, I need to focus more on one event and work continuously on my mechanics,” Frimpong said. Read more.

Frimpong becomes three times in a row Great West outdoor Champion with UVU. Frimpong, took 4th with the UVU 4×100 meters man relay team, 7th in both the 100 and  200 meters sprint finals. Frimpong ran the 100 meters in a time of 10.71 seconds and the 200 meters in a time of 21.93 seconds Read more.

  Akwasi Frimpong wins a gold medal with the 4 x 400 meters man relay team from Utah Valley University during the Great West  indoor Championships in New York. The relay squad, did not only finish first place, but also broke the meet record. Read more.

It is now t-minus 12 days until the UVU Track & Field Team travels to New York City for the 2011 Indoor Great West Conference Championships. Our goal? To work hard as a team and bring the title home. We plan to do this using what we call “the zone of discipline.”

Two months ago, our track and field coaches introduced this idea to the team. This concept teaches us, as a team, to train at an almost superhuman level of focus and discipline. The zone of discipline has become the team’s secret to success because we have come to an understanding that it is a method to get ourselves into the mental state of being “in the zone.”Click here to read the rest of the column.

Akwasi Frimpong alias GoldenSprint, Dutch sprinter and best known as the subject of the Dutch documentary film, “De Theorie van Het Konijn,” or “The Rabbit  Theory.” is letting his voice be heard through a column in the USA.  Frimpong,  felt isolated and silenced for 13 long years, as the Dutch immigration constantly rejected his request to become a citizen, Frimpong says he is breaking free of the stifling silence he had to maintain as an illegal alien and
therefore he is letting his voice be heard. He wrote in December 2010 a letter to Oprah Winfrey about his life. Frimpong has also let his voice be heard as a columnist for “Het Parool,” the largest newspaper in Amsterdam, in 2008, and again in 2011, as a columnist for in the college newspaper, the “Utah Valley University Review.” He also frequently gives motivation speeches all over the world to businesses, schools and social organizations. During his speeches, he talks about the principles that have brought him success in life and how these principles are transferable in any stage in life.

Today, his first column came out in the Utah Valley University Review  news paper.  Read the column.