MY STORY
MY STORY
In 2003, my life changed forever. At 16 years old, I was arrested and charged for something I did not do, under a law called Joint Enterprise. It was a law I had never heard of like most people but it changed my life in an instant.
Upon sentencing, my mum gave me advice that would change the course of my life forever.
She said, “Don’t see it as if you have gone to prison, see it as if you’ve gone to university and you’re there to study. Learn and make the most of every opportunity. Do not waste it.”
Those words completely changed my mindset. What I once saw as the end became an opportunity for a new beginning.
I knuckled down, committed myself to education and achieved 37 qualifications and 7 diplomas, earning distinctions in all seven. I stayed out of trouble and became a model prisoner.
That decision became the foundation of my future. Today, I’ve turned those experiences into my career, using my story to educate, inspire and help others make better choices.
WHERE IT BEGAN
I grew up surrounded by crime, violence and negativity. It became normal. I had no real direction and couldn't see the consequences of the choices I was making.
THE SENTENCE
At just 16, I was sentenced to life in prison under Joint Enterprise. I went from being a teenager to facing the possibility of spending much of my life behind bars.
ROCK BOTTOM
I believed my life was over. My freedom was gone, my family was on the outside and my future looked completely different. I had a choice: let prison define me, or decide who I wanted to become.
THE TURNING POINT
I made a decision that would change everything. I couldn't change my past, but I could change what happened next. I picked up a book and started rebuilding myself.
EDUCATION CHANGED ME
In custody, I completed 37 qualifications and 7 diplomas. Education didn't just give me certificates it changed how I thought, what I believed was possible and the future I could see for myself.
PRISON TO PURPOSE
Today, I travel the UK inspiring thousands of people from prisons and classrooms to corporate boardrooms changing how they Think, Act & Perform.
After seven years of uncertainty, hard work and determination, he recognised the genuine change I had made. He saw beyond my past, believed in my rehabilitation and gave me the opportunity to prove that change was possible.
His decision changed my life. What I chose to do with that freedom became my purpose.
Today, I use my past experiences to educate and inspire thousands of people across the UK, from schools, colleges and universities to prisons, prison staff, education providers and corporate organisations.
It was a real privilege to reunite with Judge Samuels KC and treat him to dinner at The Ritz, where we discussed the importance of prison reform, rehabilitation and the power of second chances.
Seven years to earn my freedom. A lifetime committed to making it count.
I couldn’t change my sentence.
I couldn’t change where I was.
I couldn’t change my past.
BUT I COULD DECIDE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
I chose education.
I took responsibility.
I changed the way I thought
One decision didn’t change everything overnight.
It changed the direction I was heading.
That’s why I do what I do today.
At school, I never attended sports day. I believed I was rubbish at sport and fitness, so I never gave myself the chance to find out otherwise.
That changed in prison. I studied health and fitness and gained qualifications in the very subject I had once believed I was worst at.
After my release, I turned that learning into a successful career, becoming an award-winning personal trainer and helping others build their strength, confidence and belief in themselves.
“The subject I thought I was worst at became the subject I excelled in.”
That is the power of education in prison. It helped me discover an ability I never knew I had — and gave me the foundations to build a future around it.
Nobody is coming to
save you.
Learning gave me options and
rebuilt my future.
People rise when someone
believes in them.
Sometimes one sentence changes
a life forever.
Walking, talking
billboard of reform
and rehabilitation.
– Former British
Prime Minister
I defy you to spend just
10 minutes with Adz and
not be inspired.
— Hannah Jones,
Ministry of Justice
50% of our hard to reach learners re-engaged with education after Adz’s workshops.
– Tony Winstanley,
HMYOI Brinsford
Share a few details about your organisation and what you're looking for. I'll review your enquiry and get back to you to discuss the best approach.
Your information is kept private and secure. We will only use your details to respond to your enquiry.
