Meet Eric Owusu

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eric Owusu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eric below.

Hi Eric , so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

Being the only one in the room has been the story of my life. At three years old, my father left me in Ghana, and when I came back to America I was bullied for being African and different. My mother was lost to drugs, and I grew up in a world where no one looked like me or understood my reality. By third grade, I was teaching my father English and helping him pass his citizenship test — already carrying responsibilities far beyond my years.

Later, when I was homeless in Chicago, sleeping in my Toyota Yaris during brutal winters, I was again the only one in the room — figuring out how to survive, how to train, how to heal from career-ending injuries, and how to keep chasing a dream no one else could see.

Now, as I prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics representing Ghana in skeleton — a sport dominated by white athletes from cold countries — I still find myself the only one in the room. But I’ve learned that onlyness can be a strength. It means carrying my culture, my history, and my dream into spaces where people like me are rarely seen. It means breaking barriers so that the next generation won’t have to stand alone.

That’s why I created UncommonDreams Inc. — to make sure that uncommon athletes with uncommon journeys don’t have to walk that road of onlyness alone. Through UncommonDreams Inc., I’m building opportunities for athletes who look different, come from underfunded backgrounds, and dare to dream big, so that being the “only one in the room” eventually becomes being the first of many.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m Eric Owusu, better known as Coach O — International Athlete, Coach, and Founder of UncommonDreams Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for underfunded and uncommon athletes. Right now, I’m on the road to the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing Ghana in Skeleton.

I’m also proud to be the first athlete supported by UncommonDreams. My journey is proof of concept — leading the way and showing what’s possible when uncommon athletes are given the structure, support, and belief they need. The system we’ve built isn’t just about me. It’s designed so that every athlete who comes after me has a platform to chase their own uncommon dream.

Alongside the nonprofit, I run two ventures under my holding company, Owusu Holdings LLC:
• Uncommon Apparel — our movement-driven brand with a bold goal of selling 50,000 shirts this year, raising awareness and fueling both my Olympic journey and future athlete support through UncommonDreams.
• Coach O Training — where I’ve been coaching for over 16 years, working with cheerleaders, dancers, gymnasts, and athletes across every sport. I specialize in teaching biomechanics and tumbling to ensure safety, awareness, and exponential progression no matter the sport. And the best part is, we come to you — bringing tumbling and sport-specific training directly to athletes where they are.

Together, these platforms form one ecosystem: I’m the first uncommon athlete to step through the door, but I won’t be the last. UncommonDreams is here to make sure the next generation doesn’t just dream uncommon — they live it.

And right now, we are actively looking for partners and sponsors to join us on the road to the 2026 Winter Olympics. Together, we can break barriers, build opportunities, and inspire athletes around the world to chase their uncommon dreams.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, my journey’s three most impactful qualities have been resilience, adaptability, and vision.

Resilience came from living through obstacles most would have quit on — from growing up without my mother, to being abandoned in Ghana as a child, to enduring career-ending injuries, homelessness, and sleeping in my car through Chicago winters. I refused to let circumstances define me, and that mental toughness has carried me in life and sport.

Adaptability was forged when I had to figure things out independently — teaching my father English as a child, finding ways to train and shower while homeless, and reinventing myself after setbacks. I learned to adjust, pivot, and keep moving forward no matter the environment.

Vision is what keeps me climbing. I don’t see myself as an athlete but as the first of many uncommon athletes who will rise through UncommonDreams. My ability to dream bigger than my situation allows me to inspire others and build platforms that last beyond my own journey.

Advice for others: Don’t wait! Conditions will be the same regardless. Might as well find out what could be possible. Start where you are, with what you have. Build resilience by facing challenges head-on! Which is terrifying! If it feels like it’s risky and terrifying. Go for it! That’s what I have done. And over time, your experience and wisdom will exponentially and consistently outweigh the fear of failure. That’s where adapting comes in. “Walk in the dark and figure it out.” Adapt by embracing change. When it’s good, it’s good, but know bad is coming. And when it’s bad, just knowing good is coming. This IS life. Vision. You must be a little crazy, outside the box, and not care what others think to have a vision truly. To have vision, you dare to show the world the crazy story in your head about winning gold for your country or building a global business by daring to see yourself beyond your current reality. These qualities will not just carry you through adversity — they will transform you into someone you will be proud of.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

In the past 12 months, my biggest growth has been in stepping away from survival and stepping fully into building. I quit my full-time job to pursue this dream with everything I have. I asked for help when I needed it—starting with creating my board members—and then I built everything else myself. I learned how to form a nonprofit and an LLC from scratch, making sure every system runs on its own so that I can focus all of my energy on one mission: winning gold for Ghana in skeleton.

That has been my growth—shifting from someone carrying the weight alone, to someone building a foundation strong enough to carry not just me, but every uncommon athlete who comes after me. UncommonDreams isn’t just my story—it’s a blueprint for the next.

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