Base Camp Group Supports Ghana’s Dream for Skier to Qualify in Winter Olympics

As the countdown begins to the Winter Olympics in Turin February 2006, Ghana’s hopes are pinned on Kwame
Archeampong to be the first ever African skier to take part. As Kwame’s lead sponsor, Base Camp Group is providing him with the best possible chance, with top class training and funding to help him qualify for the downhill, slalom and giant slalom Olympic events.

As Kwame embarks on his second season skiing on snow, he has a punishing schedule of races ahead of him to obtain the necessary FIS points to qualify for the Olympics. As leaders in their field of running ski and snowboard instructor courses in both Europe and North America, Base Camp Group is in the best position to ensure that Kwame receives the all the tuition he needs to succeed in these races and bring the Olympic dream within his reach.

The intrepid Ghanaian, now known as the “snow leopard” only stepped on snow for the first time last December, courtesy of Base Camp Group, when he trained for the World Ski Federation race in Val D’Isère. He had never put on a pair of skis until four years ago and even then his skiing was limited to the Milton Keynes Xscape Snow Centre, where he used to work as a
receptionist.

Base Camp’s professional instructors will work alongside Kwame’s own ski coach Dave Jacobs. Fergie Miller, managing director of the Base Camp Group said: “We sponsored Kwame last year and saw his progression from total novice to Olympic hopeful. We are delighted to be able to help him once more and have high hopes that he will qualify. We are ensuring over the next couple of months that he has the best possible instruction from our qualified instructors based in resort and he gets as much practise as he can on the more demanding runs.”

Kwame said: “For the last four years this has been my dream and I am really optimistic that I will qualify for the Olympics and fly the Ghanaian flag. I have worked very hard to get this far and with the experience and tuition I will receive in the next few months, there is no reason why I shouldn’t qualify.”