The UP Unity & Peace team in Denham Town and Trench Town, Jamaica, were excited to receive a special visit from 24 year–old actor, Micheal Ward recently. The BAFTA Rising Star Award winner took part in a boxing session, and spent time with some of the young people on the UP Unity & Peace programme.
UP Unity & Peace is a Collective coordinated by Fight for Peace that brings together services and organisations across communities in support of young people in Kingston, Jamaica.
This visit saw Micheal, who is originally from Spanish Town in Kingston, return to his country of birth for the first time since he moved to the UK with his mother at the age of four.
During his visit, the Top Boy star participated in a training session with Jamaica Boxing Board coach Janathan ‘Mufasa’ Hanson, and some of his top UP Unity & Peace students – Anthony, Adjani, Reynard, Everton, and Shawndee.
After learning his boxing stance and how to deliver a boxing sequence, the actor took time to share advice on how to stay focused and motivated:
“To stay motivated, I’d ask you to do something in your life that you enjoy. You have opportunities to do amazing things. Be dedicated to what you want to be. Work harder than your competitor, keep working and do what you need to do to succeed. Keep wanting to be the best.”
He also shared thoughts on staying grounded and maintaining focus:
“I’d say it’s good to know where you come from; stay grounded. Opportunities are there, everything you do is not for yourself – it’s for people that show you love. Use that to keep you going.”
“To maintain focus, I’d say if you enjoy it, you can keep going. You don’t get nothing from nothing, feel it from within. You only have one life to live.”
The positivity and willingness to try new things that Micheal demonstrated throughout his visit was wonderful to see, and we know it will inspire some of the young men that shared this space with him.
Micheal’s journey is a true show of perseverance and what can become possible when we believe in ourselves and our talents. It’s been a pleasure for Fight for Peace to be a part of Micheal’s exploration of opportunities to give back to his home country, and encourage young people to believe in themselves.
