The winner of the 2023 edition of TV3 Ghana’s Strongest, Godfred Akolbila, has indicated that winning the ultimate award as the strongest man in Ghana completes his story.
According to the bodybuilder, his journey to the throne, which began in 2015, has been filled with setbacks, disappointments, and mystery.
Recounting his undulating journey to Ibrahim Aziz on A1 Radio’s Daybreak Upper East show, the strongest man revealed that he was laid off from his job at some point and had to rely on friends and his family.
Despite all these uncertainties, Mr. Akolbila stated that he remained determined, focused, and committed to securing the title of the strongest man in Ghana.
“I started this competition in 2015, but I did not qualify for the main show. I came back in 2016, qualified, and went to the quarterfinals but got evicted. The guy who won was holding the title, and I took a picture of it and posted it on my Instagram page, assuring myself that I will own this one day.”
“I came back again in 2017 and was placed first runner up, 2018 as second runner up, 2019 as first runner up, and 2020, which I thought was my year because I was the favourite based on my performance, but guess where I placed, third runner up, and that is because something happened on the final day on the event of the sack in the pond, I got injured and could not continue.”
He said this setback made him face backlash from a lot of people in the Upper East Region who were always rooting for him to win, and that nearly demoralised him not to compete again.
“So I did not compete in 2021 because I felt that when I compete, you get to tell me in my face that I am not good and all that, but I sat back and said I have to accomplish my dream, and the picture I took and posted on my Instagram page says a different thing, so I need to go back, and that got me back in 2022, and I got third again.”
Mr. Akolbila said he told his trainer just on the stage after losing the title in 2022 that 2023 would be for him and he needed to compete again, and he is finally happy that the reality has indeed dawned on him and all the well-wishers in the region who were rooting for him to win.
He called on the youth to be motivated by his story and never give up on their dreams, irrespective of the setbacks.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Ghana
