Abeiku Jackson: The history-making swimmer inspiring change in Ghana
In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, Abeiku Jackson, reveals how he became inspired by Michael Phelps, why simply competing at Rio 2016 'was his gold medal', and how swimming can save lives in Ghana.
Swimming
Abeiku Jackson is something of a rarity in Ghana, in that he grew up taking swimming lessons. And he did this mostly for his own safety.
The African nation has large swaths of lakes and rivers, and subsequently experiences significant flooding during the rainy season.
Tragically, this results in the loss of many lives every year due to the fact that swimming is rarely taught in schools or at home.
Only a select few can afford a pool or swimming lessons for their infants, which also helps to explain why Ghana produces so few elite swimmers.
However, Jackson bucked that trend, and went on to become a two-time Olympian.
“My dad and family have always supported my career in swimming. It was my dad who got me into swimming, it was him who kept and pushed me through it. And made me who I am today," he told Olympics.com head of the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha.
His story is proof that with belief and the provision of the right resources, anything is possible.
The victory that made Abeiku Jackson focus on swimming
Jackson began swimming at the age of three, with his family taking regular trips to the Tesano Sports Club in Accra, Ghana.
An obvious natural talent was quickly recognised by his father, who started coaching him in a bid to realise his full potential.
Aged five, Jackson made his competitive swimming debut for the Gh Dolphins club at an event in Lagos, Nigeria.
“I remember competing in the 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly. And I won gold in the 50m butterfly," the swimmer continued.
Until this point, the young athlete played table tennis, tennis, and football alongside swimming.
But Jackson's success in the pool helped him come to the decision, aged 10, that he should pursue a professional career in swimming and focus only on that sport.
Abeiku Jackson making waves in Ghana and beyond
The Olympic dream and mental pressure
Michael Phelps was a huge inspiration to Jackson and his dreams in swimming. He would watch the USA legend and vowed that one day he 'would represent Ghana at a big stage like the Olympics'.
The Ghanaian took a big step towards his goal when, aged 14, he competed in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Two years later, at Rio 2016, Ghana finally made its Olympic debut in swimming when Jackson and Kaya Forson competed in the men's 50m freestyle and women's 200m freestyle, respectively.
“For me, being at the Olympics was good enough because I set a target to make it there aged 16, and achieving that was a gold medal for me irrespective of the outcome," Abeiku Jackson to Olympics.com.
The Accra native continued to improve his times at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in 2018 at Gold Coast, where he clocked a 100m butterfly personal best of 54.79, finishing 15th, compared to 31st four years previously. In the 50m butterfly, he finished 16th with 24.86 in comparison to previously finishing 33rd with 27.21 seconds.
Jackson then made history again by securing a second-consecutive Olympic quota at Tokyo 2020, where he failed to progress from the heats in the 100m butterfly.
This was followed by a return to winning ways at the 2022 African Swimming Championships in Tunis. He finished with a time of 53.89 to take the men's 100m butterfly crown.
However, all these achievements at such a young age came with a wave of mental pressure, and ironically only eased when he got back in the water.
“Swimming is my peace, it is my home and almost feels like a natural habitat for me. In the sense that, if I have a problem, I go to the pool. If I have any mental health problems, I go to the pool. So for me, it has always been my refuge.”
Gold for Ghana at the African Games?
Jackson is currently studying Sports Management and Business.
He hopes to shine at the 2024 African Games, set to be hosted in his home country.
Ultimately, Jackson wants to use his achievements in the pool to inspire young people to enhance their swimming skills. Be that through working for an opportunity to study abroad like himself, or by learning the sport at home.
“For me, my greatest expectation will always be to raise the flag of Ghana high at the Games. I think every Ghanaian athlete like myself would want to sweep as many medals as we can. So far us, it should be a host and win."