Gran Turismo Guinness World Record holder and McLaren Racing intern Lewis Appiagyei excited to see e-sports make it to the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
17-year-old champion racing driver Lewis Appiagyei from Camden is steadily carving out a meaningful career as an up-and-coming global superstar. He featured in Forbes magazine America and has appeared in a BBC news feature about his racing.
Lewis, who was named the youngest on the prestigious Forbes ’30 under 30’ Africa list last year, aims to become a Formula 1 champion.
At 17, he is already a youth ambassador for the biggest youth sporting event in Europe, the London Youth Games, which is sponsored by sportswear giant Nike. He also made history by being the youngest person in the world to set a motor racing simulator Gran Turismo Guinness World Record at the tender age of 10. A record that is still unbeaten to this day.
Looking back. @F1 @LewisHamilton @McLarenF1 #ThrowbackThursday @BRDCSilverstone pic.twitter.com/NCHX0PEmmO
— Lewis Appiagyei (@LewisAppiagyei) May 6, 2021
The rise and rise of e-Sports
The recent announcement from the IOC ( International Olympic Committee ) to include five e-sport games in this year’s Tokyo Olympics which include the FIA Gran Turismo racing sim should be a real wake up call to those who are totally oblivious to what’s going on in the gaming industry, which raked in far more money than actual sports last year.
Taking place ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Virtual Series (e-Sports) will begin on 13th May, continuing through to 23rd June 2021.
The exponential growth of e-sports around the world in recent years hasn’t gone unnoticed by forward-thinking CEOs, who now have their own e-sports teams flying their corporate banners in big money global competitions.
“I am excited for all gamers around the globe and of the opportunities this will bring”, says Lewis.
Consider this: the global film industry reached $100 billion in revenue, while the gaming and e-sports global market generated $159 billion in revenue in 2020. It is forecast that esports is well on its way to become bigger than music and movies combined.
Lewis is extremely focused on his main goal to get to Formula 1 and was lucky enough to be selected for an internship with McLaren at the end of last year. He also had a strong sense of giving back to his peers, whether it be on a race track or a transatlantic Zoom call to a fellow gamer seeking advice.
He’s also a vocal advocate for young racing drivers such as himself, using his platform to give young people a voice. Becoming an Olympian, all be it a virtual one, would now be another accolade to the seemingly endless achievements this young man has amassed to date.
Re-published with permission from Lewis Appiagyei.
