AF: S1 Ep2: Ellen: "I don't give up just like that!": Ghana's Female National Road Race and Time Trial Champion

Born and raised in Accra, Ghana with proud Ga roots, Ellen is Ghana’s reigning Female National Road Race and Time Trial Cycling Champion. From the football to cycling, her journey is one of strength, elegance, and resilience. 

With every race, she rides not just for victory, but to inspire young girls and women to dream bigger and rise higher. 

Follow Ellen @armstrongatchabu

Jingle - Mapa Travel

Transcript

Intro

Hi Guys and welcome to my podcast the Cyclist Next Door. If you are enjoying these episodes why not like,  subscribe or share with loved one, fellow cyclist or somebody who might be interested. The time has come for today’s episode so grab your cup of tea, settle into your zone 2 momentum. Rolling!

Rose

Welcome, Welcome to the Cyclist Next Door.  We are so excited to be here. We are here in Ghana, We’re in Legon… so this is the university campus where students come to study and is also a great place for training? 

Ellen, do you regularly come to Legon and is this your training ground? 

Ellen

This is our training ground. Yes, I do come to train here

Rose 

I was here on Saturday I remember seeing lots of people just riding 

Ellen

It’s a cool place

Rose

Okay, let’s get talking, so tell me how did you come to cycling? So I’ve just watched you become Ghana’s National Female Champion Road Race and Time Trial. So how did all start?

Ellen

I started cycling about a year ago and I am now cycling 1 year 4 months. One of my friends introduced me to cycling. I was a footballer before

Rose 

So what made you change?

Ellen

I have been seeing them riding and I was interested in it. I spoke to my friend and she introduced me to the coach and that was the beginning 

Rose 

Did you have a bike or were you using your friends? 

Ellen

I don’t have a bike so I’m using the coach’s bike.

Rose

You said you started being coached. Is there a reason you went for coaching rather than just riding your bike. Did you want to take it to a professional level? 

Ellen

Yes that is what I am hoping for right now.

Rose 

From the first time you started being coached, did you imagine that within a year you’ll be Ghana’s national champion?

Ellen 

Yes!  all thanks to my boss and coach Isaac Sackey. With his help I have reached where I am today.

Rose 

What does a coaching session look like? Is it just riding on the trainer? Or different things..

Ellen

Hmm let me just say in everything  he just does his best for me on the road and home trainer

Rose

Let’s talk about race day,  how does it feel being on the start line? I see people lined up before the flag goes down? How are you feeling? Can you tell us how your emotions are?

Ellen

I feel good? It wasn’t easy! Cycling itself is a different thing. It’s very difficult but if you made up your mind this is what you want to do, you can do it!

Rose

At the start line when you’re standing there with the other females who are very good as well. I know one of the other girls won last year.  Are you able to control your nerves? how are you feeling, do you feel nervous? 

Ellen

I feel very nervous as the person I was competing with is very stubborn 

Rose 

I remember on the day it was very hot

Ellen

Scorching!!

Rose 

How many laps did you have to do?

Ellen

4 laps

Rose 

Yes and it was quite a distance as well

Going round, anything you can tell us about staying in the group/ peloton? How did that feel trying to keep up on that hot weather?

Ellen

It was very tough, starting the race is not easy. You’ll be a little bit nervous because you don’t know what will happened. 

Rose 

When it gets really hard, like really hard, let’s paint a picture, the sun is baking and you’re getting dry and speed is really tough. What keeps you going? What is happening in your mind? Are you saying Ellen come on?

Ellen

Yes I am saying Ellen you can do it! I don’t give up like that. The perseverance  just keeps me going 

Rose 

Moving on now, let’s talk about women in sport. What do you hope for young girls getting into sport

 Ellen

In Ghana here we don’t have many women in cycling  because they think cycling is difficult for example the accidents but I’m just hoping that they will understand what cycling is about and join us - that’s what we are praying for 

Rose

Do you think cycling helps build confidence in woman for example when you are winning championships? Does it help you feel good about yourself?

Ellen

For sure!

Rose 

I think young girls need that. We need to get the girl power back!  

You’re doing so well, I joined you and coach Isaac doing a training session. It was fire! Then you guys told me it was a post race easy ride. It’s good you took up coaching as well. I know sometimes if you just do it on your own, you kind of just do the same thing all the time so it’s good you got some help there. Any words of wisdom? What would you give - your top tip for cycling?- Someone just starting? What would you say to them? 

Ellen

As I said, don’t be scared, it’s like football. If you’ve made up your mind that this is what you want to do nothing can stop you! 

Rose

Lovely words to end there.

Ellen

They should just join us and feel the goodness in it

Rose 

One thing I would like to ask,  when you’re riding on the road do you get lots of encouragement from the people?

Ellen

Yes that’s when I go crazy on the bike.

Rose

Yes I have felt that as well in Ghana while I’ve been here . People are just lovely and say keep going! 

Thank you it’s been so nice talking to with you and we wish you all the best for the next year wining more championships and with the coaching. We hope more women, more cyclist, more everyday people will be encouraged by what you’re doing etc

Outro

Hi Guys thank you for joining me on 

this episode of Cyclist Next Door.  

I hope you have enjoyed this episode. If so please like subscribe and share let’s grow this community and join me back here again as we meet the next cyclist next door as we unpack of everyday people unpack the journey every day people who have picked up a bike, experienced the joy of cycling and have been on their own personal adventure so until next time….Rolling!