For athletes, the breakthrough year is always the most important. They work for years waiting for the right moment.
In William Amponsah’s case, 2023 was that year. The year it all began to come together. In the men’s cross country section on the West Texas A&M website, Amponsah dominates…
He was voted the LSC Newcomer of the year, LSC runner of the year, NCAA Division II Cross Country Men’s Athlete of the Year and won the Men’s runner of the week in the open season 3 times. That was some year for him. An incredibly good year but it wasn’t all rosy. He had to put in the work.
“It has been tough. Everyday you have to be awake by 5am and you have to run. Whether it is cold or not, you just have to do it. Whether you feel like doing it or not you just have to. You have to always come out of your comfort zone. There are a lot of long distance athletes in the world so if you are going to be at the top, you have to do things differently,” he said in a Zoom interview with 3Sports.
Amponsah started his journey as a long distance runner back in Junior High School in Agona Swedru in Ghana’s Central Region but it wasn’t until he entered the Swedru School of business that he knew he actually had it. There, he honed what was the little skill he had learnt from his science teacher in basic school. It helped him because he became one of the school’s most-priced assets.
Long distance running and Ghana are two things that do not particularly go together. It is William Amponsah’s dream however to change the narrative. He has had a great year training in the United States and is now looking to do it at the African Games. 🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/iqI6kgBEYQ
— Yaw (@theyawofosu) March 2, 2024
Amponsah began with sprinting but he didn’t have the heart or the legs for it. He is a lanky lad. Long limbs, chiseled face and a chest that will take a physical trainer years to make broader. Long-distance running just felt like something that best suited his abilities.
His current coach, Zach Daniels is fond of the man. He speaks of the athlete with pleasant assuredness.
“He is very humble for somebody that is as good as he is. He is undefeated right now in the US which really unheard of for someone who has only been here (United States) for only a few months. That is his best quality. Everything that I have given him, he has never complained once,” Daniels said.
William will compete at the African Games in the 5000m and the marathon in Accra this month in front of his family and the teaming Ghanaian crowd. As an athlete, representing country is always a good feeling but doing it at a major sporting event in front of your home fans is surreal. Amponsah is relishing the moment.
“It will be the first time that I will be having such an experience where my family will be in the stands watching so that will be extra motivation for me.” He stated with a broad smile on his face.
It will be a shocker if a Ghanaian ever wins a major marathon at the expense of competitors from East Africa but with William Amponsah in the saddle, that feat isn’t too far off.