• Facebook - White Circle
  • Instagram - White Circle
  • Twitter - White Circle
2020 SCHOLARSHIPS NOW OPEN
  • HOME

  • RECIPIENTS

  • SPONSORS SUPPORTERS

  • ABOUT

  • CONTACT

  • BLOG

  • More

     © 2019 Don Oliver Youth Sport Foundation

    Gym inspired life changes

    Sometimes all you need is a spark to change things. Jay-Jay Wilson, 16, talks to Julian Raethel about how he turned his life around through mixed martial arts.

    Jay-Jay Wilson is the first to admit he was heading down the wrong track.

    Growing up in South Auckland, he mixed with the wrong crowds and was constantly in trouble.

    Drinking, fighting and staying out late were commonplace in the young teenager’s life. ‘‘I was just doing dumb things,’’ Wilson says. ‘‘It really brought my family down.’’

    Wilson attended Papatoetoe High School and lived with his aunt, uncle and nine siblings. ‘‘It wasn’t a big house but it was really cool. ‘‘I always had someone there to keep things entertaining.’’ He dropped out of school and moved to live with his stepmother in Glen Eden last year.

    Wilson was coaxed into turning up to the local Steve Oliver MMA gym — a visit that would change him forever.

    ‘‘I was still slipping up a bit.’’ Now aged 16, Wilson has turned it all around. ‘‘My friend kept asking me to join him at the gym but I didn’t want to go,’’ he says. ‘‘Then one day we were at the dairy, I had no money and asked him to buy me some lollies.‘‘He agreed but only if I showed up at the gym.’’

    Wilson now trains five times a week for at least two hours a session. He won his first competition at Trusts Arena in the national no-gi tournament for the under-65kg category in August. job. He also got a drainlaying ‘‘It’s changed my whole life,’’ Wilson says. ‘‘Everyone here is friendly, welcoming and helpful. I feel like I belong and realise that crime just isn’t worth it.’’ Wilson will be competing at the NZ Grappler Brazilian Jiu Jitsu No-Gi Tournament on Saturday.

    Visit facebook.com/ nzgrappler for information.

    Story by Julian Raethel in Western Leader Thursday 20th February

    Tags:

    • inspiring news
    Facebook
    Recent Posts

    Para Athlete Keegan Pitcher Takes 1 Second off 100m PB

    Multiple Wins, Multiple Medals for Lucy Makaea in Surf-Lifesaving

    Nicole Mettam sets sights on NZ Under 20's Soccer World Cup Squad

    Nicole Mettam sets sights on NZ Under 20's Soccer World Cup Squad

    Nathan Brown finishes 12th in Gold Coast Fina Diving Grand Prix Competition

    Nathan Brown finishes 12th in Gold Coast Fina Diving Grand Prix Competition

    Michael Micham Combines Boxing and Gym Work for Improvements in the Pool

    Heptathalon Athlete Liam White Commences Light Training after ACL Knee Injury

    Multiple Rugby League Awards for Jack Roudon

    New Don Oliver Awards Recipients for 2017

    New Trustees and New Initiatives for 2017

    New Harry O’Rourke Memorial Scholarship for Para-athletes

    {"items":["5f84b215b780f00017b98f7f","5f84b215b780f00017b98f80","5f84b215b780f00017b98f81","5f84b215b780f00017b98f82","5f84b215b780f00017b98f83","5f84b215b780f00017b98f84","5f84b215b780f00017b98f85","5f84b215b780f00017b98f86","5f84b215b780f00017b98f87","5f84b215b780f00017b98f88"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"max","cubeRatio":1.7777777777777777,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":22,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":0,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":0,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":["SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","SHOW_BELOW"],"galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":60,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":75,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":1000,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(178,178,178,0)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"MANUAL","targetItemSize":1000,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|max|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":true,"externalInfoHeight":60,"externalInfoWidth":0.75},"container":{"width":220,"galleryWidth":242,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}
    Search By Tags
    • athlete news
    • athlete report
    • inspiring news
    • photo
    • press
    • video
    • workshop
    Follow Us
    • Facebook Classic
    • Twitter Classic
    • Google Classic