When King Leonidas marched out of Sparta with only three hundred men to face-off with King Xerxes’ extremely vast army in the battle of Thermopylae, the Spartans had only one thought on their mind; leaving a legacy. Wherein the ‘wisest’ thing for King Leonidas and his troops to have done was to have withdrawn from the battle, they rather deemed it fit to fight for change. They didn’t look at the unfavorable conditions prior to the war but they decided to look beyond it.
It is this type of rare vision and focus which translates “mere” men from the world of the ordinary into the world of the elite.
The truth has been established but what is the truth? The truth is that there is no smooth route to success. We must be ready to navigate our way through the stormy routes of life.
In the light of this, a man’s quest to represent and win an Olympic medal for Ghana in Taekwondo, one of the lesser known sports in the country cannot be overlooked.
“Little drops of water makes a mighty ocean” and yes! Julian Aryee is determined to ensure that his drops culminate into a mighty ocean.
Born and bred in Korle Gonno, Julian Aryee fell in love with Taekwondo primarily because of his father. Guess what? His father doubles up as his trainer! The battle to ensure that he represents his motherland at the Olympic Games has been ongoing since childhood.
The above is a video of Julian demonstrating his proficiency in Taekwondo to some students at the University of Education, Winneba.
For Julian, giving up isn’t an option.
On November 26, 2017 Julian Aryee made it to the finals of the Lagos International Taekwondo Classic where he faced Nigeria’s Shola Olowookere in the 66kg category. In a fiercely contested battle, Julian emerged second-best but the impression he left on the theming crowd was indelible. Julian Aryee raised high the flag of Ghana.
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Julian receiving his silver medal.
In this era where efficiency in sports is enhanced by scientific practices, the issue of funding remains the biggest challenge for Julian but hey, “if Eneke the bird has learnt to fly without perching, then Okonkwo the hunter will also learn to shoot without missing”.
“He who knows how to properly wash his hands will definitely eat with elders”. Watch out thou Taekwondo Olympic gold medal, Julian Aryee cometh for thee!
