Athlete / High Jumper, Canadian Track & Field Team, Brampton, ON. Born: Ghana.
High jumper, Kwaku-Barima Boateng, was one of the brightest young stars in Canadian Track & Field. He is a former member of the Ghana national team, highlighted by an appearance at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria. Following the Games, he applied for refugee status and remained in Canada with 5 other Ghanaian athletes.
Currently, Kwaku-Barima is taking courses in coaching, sports mangement, and kinesiology.
Highlights: Including, Gold medal, Menās High Jump, Canadian Track & Field Championships (2006); Silver Medal, Jeux de la Francophonie (2005); Silver medal, Commonwealth Games (2002); Ā Silver medal at the Francophonie Games (2001); Gold medal (jointly with Mark Boswell), Pan Am Games (1999); 4-time Canadian National High Jump Champion (1995, ā96, ā98, ā99); placed in top 3 in many international high jump competitions; was ranked between 3rd and 5th in the world; personal best of 2.34m; inclusion in Who’s Who in Black Canada 2 (2006).
Education: Degree in computer graphics and multimedia.
Favourite book? AĀ New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.Ā It’s inspirational.
Favourite quote? “To think is very easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all.” – Johann von Goethe
Given the chance, what would you love to do that you haven’t done yet? Work for the Ghana Olympic Committee.
Who inspires you? The people profiled on CNN Heroes.
Why do you do what you do? I enjoy going to different places and helping people.