The jumping phoenix: Physically challenged high jumper moves closer to Paralympic dream

In 2023, physically challenged high jumper, Gilbert Ampiah conquered able bodied children in the heart of Ekumfi Atwa, recording a personal best of 1.60m.

3Sports paid him a visit and he knew then that his unthinkable aspiration of competing at the highest level can become a reality. Despite receiving offers from multiple secondary schools, the 16-year-old chose to school in St. Augustine’s College after completing junior high.

“A lot of schools in central region wanted to recruit me but I wanted Augusco. My headmaster in junior high recommended me to Augusco’s sports master. They then scouted me and they were pleased with what they saw so they picked me,” Gilbert Ampiah told 3Sports.

Augusco has been one of the most dominant schools in the super zonals and have produced major sporting talents like Michael Essien, Matthew Amoah, and most recently Ibrahim Fuseini, a sprinter who competed for Ghana at the 2023 African Games and the 2024 Olympic Games.

Ampiah desires to be mentioned alongside them and showed a bit of that hunger at the school’s inter houses competition, setting a new personal best of 1.82m. He turned skeptical schoolmates into believers.

“The first time I saw him, I couldn’t imagine that he could jump like this. During the inter houses, at the training ground I saw that he can actually go far so we need sponsors to support him to go high,” one of Gilbert schoolmates stated.

“The first time I saw him I was like ‘can this be a joke?’. I was told that he was a volleyball player and it was through volleyball that he became a high jumper and he was recommended. So I was wondering how this can be possible but after I met him in training, I realised that he was good,” another one of his schoolmates revealed.

The first year student was handed an opportunity to test his skills at the just ended super zonals competition in a non-scoring high jump event, easily clearing the bar at 1.50m but fell short at 1.78m.

This experience was something Gilbert will always remember as he forges ahead to his Paralympic dream.

“The feeling was good. I couldn’t do better because I felt some pain in my leg. Augusco is one of the best schools in Ghana. They can help me get to the paralympics,” Gilbert stated confidently.

Gilbert Ampiah showed incredible potential in high jump two years ago despite being physically challenged from birth

He still does high jump today after joining @Augusco_

Saw him at the just ended #superzonals and did a thing

Feedback appreciated

pic.twitter.com/b5CdEl0mtG

— Bill Eshun (@Bill_Eshun) March 7, 2025

Gilbert Ampiah’s goal remains. He has placed himself in an environment that can help him improve sporting wise and in other walks of life. At the 2028 Paralympic Games, we could potentially witness the young man from Ekumfi Atwa make history for Ghana.

The post The jumping phoenix: Physically challenged high jumper moves closer to Paralympic dream first appeared on 3News.

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