From aerospace engineering to competitive weightlifting: The inspiring journey of Ghana's Forrester Osei

Forrester Osei was living his dream - studying to become an aerospace engineer and playing American footbal.

That was until he discovered his insatiable passion for weightlifting and his life took a major turn.

"One day, I saw a poster for a weightlifting competition at my football training facility in London and as a joke, I told my coach - who was also Ghanaian - that I can do this" the 34-year-old recounts with a little chuckle.

That poster changed everything, inspiring him to pursue a new dream.

Osei was born in South London to parents of Ghanaian descent but he sees himself as "fortunate enough to live on both sides of the pond" by residing in both countries at some point in his life.

Forrester Osei's detour from American football into weightlifting

Osei discovered his love for contact sports - taekwondo, rugby and American football - while attending school in Ghana.

He took up rugby and his goal was to play for the national team but that aspiration fell through because the sport was still in its early stages and practically non-existent in Ghana at the time.

This is where he hopped onto another similar path - American football

"As a kid, I loved watching sports highlights of Olympic athletes and different sports as well. Along the way, I found American football and it was an exciting discovery. I always got this exhilarating adrenaline when I see these guys run around and the best part was whenever they took their helmet off, they looked just like me".

American football gave him the space to use his strength and fuelled his pursuit of a long-term objective.

He joined the London Olympians Football team, played for three years, and later moved to the U.S., where he even participated in a walk-in trial as a power back for West Virginia University in 2012.

Osei returned back home and studied Aerospace Engineering with Pilot studies at the University of Hertfordshire Hurricanes, mainly because he "had an interest in the ability to be up in the sky in [his] little shell"

Flying was a peaceful activity for him and he enjoyed the tranquility that came with being in the sky.

"I wanted to study how this big machine called airplane worked and my end goal was to graduate with a good degree".

As he graduated from university, he discovered weightlifting, which, in some ways, felt familiar due to its incorporation into his training drills in American football.

Forrester Osei: Gold at the Commonwealth Championships a 'pivotal moment'

Osei wasn't immune to the challenges that the sport would ultimately present.

"Weightlifting is not an easy sport. The training was difficult because it is not just about lifting a barbell overhead. It is technical and that aspect is what makes it difficult"

"Commiting to the sport is just 2% of the work done. The bigger and more important part is committing yourself to learning about the capabilities of your body in a different manner because the sport requires you to be very mobile. This will come with its own limitations but you need to be patient to overcome that and improve.”

But, if you don't improve, you will get stressed, when you get stressed, you sweat a lot when you train and when you sweat a lot, you start cursing and that is when the sport defeats you. No one wants that," the British-based Ghanaian noted.

Despite the hurdles he faced, his experiences only served to further motivate him, reinforcing his determination to continue pursuing his passion for the sport.

An essential aspect of weightlifting, as he discovered, is understanding one's body and gradually becoming its master.

Osei persevered through these barriers and eventually made his debut at the 2015 English Championship in London, following months of training at the Crystal Palace Weightlifting Club.

Months of diligent effort culminated in Forrester earning a bronze medal at the British Championship, which led to a call-up to the national team. Proudly representing Ghana at the 2015 African Games in Congo, his first international tournament, he also secured a spot at the Worlds.

However, the pinnacle of his career came when he clinched gold at the 2016 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship in Malaysia.

“This was a pivotal moment in my career. I had just come back from an injury when I participated in the Commonwealth Weightlifiting Championships."

African Games: Will the third time be the lucky charm for Osei?

After missing out on a medal at the last two African Games, he hopes fortunes will change this March when Ghana hosts the event.

Competing in both the 89kg and 96kg categories, the lifter - who is currently based in Doha, Qatar - also works as a coach.

Following the 2024 African Weighlifting Championships in Ismaila, Egypt, Osei will shift his focus to preparing for the home continental Games, with the ultimate dream of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Yet, the 34-year-old's dedication extends beyond his personal athletic pursuits. 

Sharing knowledge and expertise is equally significant to him: the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) recognised his commitment by nominating him to serve on the Athletes’ Commission board in 2020.

Forrester also aims to inspire other young aspiring weightlifters in Ghana, and his primary ambition is to secure the necessary resources to establish an academy in the African country.

Given his impressive achievements in life, who can stop him from pursuing this goal?