Realising potential: A CAMHS success story
By John Hart – Wairau CAMHS/Mental Health Navigator
Little did I know on first meeting with this young blue eyed blonde hair cheeky Māori boy what an impact and how he would grow on me.
My first memory of him is while playing basketball was that he wanted to punch me in the face I roared at him "surely in gest” he just looked back at me confused.
We played basketball twice a week sometimes for 3 hours a day, one v one B-ball so he could claw back some of the points I would fluke against him. Little did he know at the time from early on I could see he had determination but no focus or work ethic towards training.
He had fallen through the cracks of mainstream education system with very little to no chance of getting back in the school gates. In his own words lately, he was just in need of some structure and routine and for others to just understand how he processed everything.
From an Xbox influenced lifestyle of Grand Theft Auto and bad choice of mates he started out in boxing and basketball to establish direction and focus. He started in alternative education program after being out of school for a couple of years and not fitting in mainstream system. he participated with Dawn Chorus in Picton as well as mentoring at Te Piki Oranga. He trained 4 to 5 times a week at Kai Toa Gym/boxing gym as well as weights at the gorilla pit at the stadium plus regular 5 km runs. He then jumped headfirst into the cactus program winning a trophy for being positive having leadership skills as well as encouraging others among other qualities.
He had started to mature and not needing to follow like before, becoming a leader amongst his peers. He now understood it's not about making people like him to make friends .It was about liking himself and becoming the best version of himself in the knowledge that others will like him too. With new career path choice and a heavy training regime and new goals he had found his new groove.
A new boxing coach additional positive mentors and support from whanau and new friends in his life. With new life experiences and goals and playing Basketball with a passion he walked onto the court with a red top on ,once upon a time that would never have happened as red was a forbidden word in his vocabulary. This was the moment when I thought he had reached the pinnacle and things couldn't get better. We played basketball on a Wednesday night with a loose collection of kids who like the game didn't have much to do mid-week. He walked onto the court like a Giant with the glow of an NBA player.
Learning to dive and hunt, shooting a deer, nutrition advice, shredding pounds to make weight ready for his first fight in the ring. From that date on and clocking up another 4 fights and 5 silvers later. His next goals are to finish the dingle foundation program this year and join the military next year 2023.
He has come a long way from fight club to a role model, we are all proud of him.
