On ‘Black Ice’ Short Film Reminds Us That Olympic Athletes Like Akwasi Frimpong Are Superheroes

There is something about the Olympics that can make even the least athletic person invested in sports. In addition to the national pride that we can have from watching our local athletes compete, we get to see people showing off their strength and skills in front of the world’s stage. For many, Olympic athletes are superheroes. They push themselves to the limit in ways that many of us can only imagine. The sportswear brand On has created a short film, Black Ice, that features Olympic athlete Akwasi Frimpong as one of these superheroes. It works wonders as an advertisement, while also showing us the power of sport.

On Black Ice Short Film Features Olympic Athlete Akwasi Frimpong as A Superhero

One of the most intense sports at the Winter Olympics is the skeleton. This extreme sport features competitors riding bobsled headfirst down an icy track. Imagine lying face down, sliding at 80 miles per hour, on ice. That’s insane.

The 2018 Winter Olympics marked the first time that a skeleton athlete from Ghana competed. This was Akwasi Frimpong. He was also the second athlete from Ghana to compete at the Winter Olympics in any sport. Frimpong intended to compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics, but a COVID-19 diagnosis prevented him from qualifying. We won’t get to see him compete for a gold medal this season, but that doesn’t make him any less of a superhero in our books.

To show off the powerful journey that Akwasi Frimpong has taken in his pursuit of sport, the sportswear brand On collaborated with director Richard Bullock. The short film Black Ice from On tells Frimpong’s story by looking through the lens of a comic book. We see his youth, education, and rise to the Olympic level all while celebrating his triumphs.

Image via Youtube screenshot.

How On Shows Us What We’re Capable Of

Are you impressed with the super speed of heroes like Quicksilver, Flash, or Makkari? We might never join the Avengers or defeat supervillains that are terrorizing the planet, but some of us have enough motivation and endurance to train our bodies until we’re just as much of a superhero as any Marvel or DC character. Just like Kate Bishop trains to be the next Hawkeye, many of us train to become the closest thing to a superhero that we can. Akwasi Frimpong is one of them.

Sports competitions like the Olympics can often be distracting in the overabundance of advertising and politics behind them. But this doesn’t change just how hard working the competitive athletes are, and the On Black Ice short film gives us an intimate glimpse into some of their upbringings. It starts from early aspirations, and sometimes they can come from idolizing comic book characters.

Watch the On Black Ice short film below to learn more about the Olympic athlete Akwasi Frimpong and his journey through life and sports.

Watch the Skeleton Races At The 2022 Beijing Olympics Starting February 10th.

What would your story look like if it was told through the lens of a comic book? The On Black Ice short film is inspiring us to be our own heroes, whether that looks like competing in the Olympics or just trying our best every day. Gold medals are incredible achievements, but just putting yourself out there and pushing past whatever boundary is in your way is worth even more than that.

Featured image via On Black Ice screenshot.

Meghan Hale is the kind of movie lover that has a "must watch" that is a mile long... and growing. When she isn't talking about the latest film and television news she is writing one of her many in-process novels, screaming film trivia at anybody who will listen, and working as a mental health care professional. Follow her on Twitter @meghanrhale for some fun theories and live reactions to all things entertainment.