“When I close my eyes, all I see is a future Olympian, because that’s my main goal: to make it to the Olympics and represent Ghana.”
When Adom Yeboah lines up on the track, spikes locked, shoulders squared, eyes set straight ahead, there is only one thought running through his mind:
Win.
For the 17-year-old sprint prodigy, winning is not just about medals. It is about chasing a dream that began long before he ever stepped on a tartan track. From his early childhood, Adom was always on the move. Whether darting across the living room or racing barefoot in the backyard, he carried an energy that defied stillness.
“If you send Adom to the room, you have to keep repeating: ‘Do not run! Do not run!’ That was him, he was always running,” his mother, Jessica Esarba Yeboah, said with a laugh.
His older sister, Efua Nhyira, remembers those early days vividly.
“We used to live in an estate that had a big field,” she said. “We’d race across it all the time. One day, I realized he was getting faster than me. I was older, it was kind of embarrassing!”
Born to Run
Born in Ghana but raised partly in the United Arab Emirates, Adom’s upbringing combined Ghanaian discipline with global exposure. However, no matter the setting, one thing remained constant: his love for speed.
“I was nine years old, and it was sports day in school in Dubai,” Adom told JoySports.
“Our team captain chose me for the 100 meters. The moment they shouted ‘Go!’ I just took off. I still remember winning that race. That was probably the first time I knew this was something I loved, to just run.”
Back in Ghana, Adom is now a student at Association International School (AIS) in Accra, where he serves as head boy. But beyond his leadership role, he has earned another title: the fastest boy in school.
At the 2024 Ghana International Schools Sports and Arts Festival held at the Borteyman Sports Complex, Adom burst onto the national radar by clocking 10.5 seconds in the 100 meters, his breakout performance.
“He’s very ambitious,” said classmate Aleesha. “When he sets his mind to something, he really goes for it.”
“We have done so many sports competitions at school, and Adom always takes first place, every time,” added schoolmate Anthony Kamara.
Even his teammates on the 4x100m relay team speak with admiration and confidence.
“Adom is quite competitive,” said Roland Darko. “You could just tell that he wanted to win.”
“You can see in the video, I was dancing even before I got the baton from Adom. That’s how sure I was that we had already won,” laughed Zayn Banda.
The Quiet Struggles of a Private School Sprinter
Despite his growing reputation, Adom’s journey has not been smooth, especially within Ghana’s fragmented school sports system.
“It’s been difficult,” his mother admitted. Even in school, they have the other games, private schools and non-private schools. But we’ve always not had the opportunity.”
On one occasion, Adom trained all summer for a major inter-school event. However, the school did not show up.
“He had to go by himself,” she said.
“He ran without a school name, just representing himself. He did very, very well. But because there was no school backing, he couldn’t even receive a medal.”
These missed opportunities highlight a broader issue in Ghana’s youth athletics, where private school athletes often fall through the cracks of competitive exposure compared to their public school counterparts.
The Setback That Nearly Ended It All
Adom faced a terrifying setback. A sudden illness left him hospitalized and temporarily unable to walk.
“At first, I thought I was joking,” Adom said.
“But then I really couldn’t move. It was scary. As an athlete, movement is everything. Being stuck in bed, it made me question everything.”
His mother’s account reflects the seriousness of that moment:
“We rushed him to the emergency ward. His legs, his hamstrings, everything was tight. The doctors said it was a serious infection that had affected his nerves. It was very scary. But he fought back. Every day, he fought.”
A Coach’s Confidence
Adom’s personal coach, Ibrahim Aminu Sulemana, was one of the first to see his potential, not just as a sprinter, but also as a student of the sport.
“When I first met him, I thought maybe his parents were forcing him into it,” Sulemana said.
“So I sat down and asked him, ‘Do you love this, or are you doing it for your mum?’ And he told me: ‘No, Coach. I love the track.’ That was enough for me.”
Sports journalist and three-time Olympic Games reporter, Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo, has also taken note.
“Adom’s blazing start definitely signals good things ahead,” he said. “In countries like Jamaica and the USA, kids start sprinting at age 8. By 12, they are already in championships. No Olympic champion has ever made it without first making their name at that level.”
“The signs are there. The potential is immense. What matters now is the support system around him.”
Fentuo is advocating for a national developmental framework to nurture Adom’s talent.
“He’s on a very good path,” he said.
“The country needs to support him, nutritional guidance, mental health support, physical training. We need to provide that now, before the pressure mounts.”
Adom’s mother agrees: “I pray schools, especially private schools, encourage children to participate in more competitions,” she said. “We have the talent, but until we nurture it, we won’t know what they’re capable of.”
Coach Suleman believes the best is yet to come. “Next year,” he smiled, “you’ll see us at the World Championships.”
Eyes on the Olympics
Like every young sprinter, Adom has his idols. But for him, they are more than role models; they are blueprints.
“Tebogo… during his 100m race at the Olympics, that’s when I really gained respect for him,” Adom said. “Noah Lyles, Asafa Powell, they’ve all been huge inspirations for me.”
He has even had a personal encounter with one of them.
“I met Asafa Powell once, when he came to Ghana and trained with us at Legon. I learned a lot that day.”
His younger sister, Aseda, sees the vision too: “I feel like he could go to international races… the Olympics, possibly.”
And so, with every drill, every early-morning run, and every breath on the start line, Adom Yeboah inches closer to a future he has already imagined.
From a boy who ran before he could understand why, to a teenager sprinting toward Paris, Los Angeles, or wherever the Olympic rings might take him, his story is not just about speed.
It’s about belief.
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