Elijah Ajayi

Elijah was only eleven years old the day he left his family in Nigeria to start a new life in London. He had never spoken a word of English, not to mention visited a school of any sort. Unluckily, he went from bad to worse. English school meant kids bullying him for being different, his accent and dyslexia. Eli has was a proud sort of guy and not knowing how else to defend himself started getting into fights and trouble at school. He was regularly summoned to the head teacher's office and known as a troublemaker to the police. One day, his grandfather had had enough and told him to let off some steam and start boxing. Over the next years, Eli learned to control his anger, gained respect for himself and others and found new friends. People at school stopped bullying him for they realised Eli might be different, but he had a special skill. He took part in official fights, got better at school and through help from a great charity organisation finally ended up going to college. Today, Elijah no longer fights himself.He has gone from being a social hard case to giving back to the community. He teaches troubled young kids boxing and helps them find new self-confidence, self-esteem and respect. They let off steam through boxing, learn to socialise, stay fit and out of trouble. Eli teaches at three different primary schools and a youth club in South London, changing young people's lives every day. His journey, story and social commitment make him the perfect torchbearer for 2012.