Deborah Acquah, the bronze winner for Ghana at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, said that she was inspired by her coach to win a medal for the nation.
Deborah Acquah, who represented Ghana and took home a medal in the women’s long jump, credited her coach with inspiring her to perform at her peak despite taking against some of the greatest competitors at the games.
Deborah Acquah claimed that her coach’s advice—that medals are won by prepared athletes rather than the finest athletes—was what motivated her to take home a medal.
“Whatever you compete in and you know you feel the pain, put in the pain and take on the moment,” she said in an interview with the press when she arrived in Ghana from the games.
“So at that moment I forgot about that pain even though it was really hurting. I had thoughts about what we’ve been working on and I just had to execute,” she added.
Deborah Acquah went on to say, “I knew we had a lot of good athletes because on the day of the competition, my coach told me that it’s not about who has the good or the best athletes but who is ready.”
Deborah Acquah made history by becoming the first Ghanaian to ever take home a medal in the long jump at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.