Ghanaian-American Speedskater Maame Biney Speaks on Breaking Barriers In this New Video
The 18-year-old made history as the first black woman to qualify for the U.S. Olympic speedskating team, and now she's focused on bringing home the gold.
As the Winter Olympics opening ceremony is only days away, we get to know Maame Biney, the 18-year-old speedskater who will be competing for team USA in short-track speed skating in the PyeongChang Games.
Biney made history in December when she qualified for the U.S. Olympic speedskating team—making her the first black woman to do so.
"Being the first African American girl on this Olympic team is really awesome because that means that young African American girls, or any other race for the matter, could go out there, find an ice rink, skate and try it out," she says in a video with CNN, "You could be the next Olympian, which is an awesome thing to be."
We also get introduced to Biney's father in the clip—who noticed Maame's curiosity in the sport when she was only 5 years old. Nevertheless, her story is nothing short of inspiring.
"I'm breaking barriers—and I'm just embracing that," she says.
Watch the clip below:
