"I’ve been through a lot in my life, I’ve still managed to come so far and achieve things even though I might not have had the best time. My coach told me to ‘never give up, never loose hope, keep trying and never give up the goal you’re working towards.’
My mum was an alcoholic; she went into rehab for a year and a half when I was 12. I didn’t have a permanent home, me and my siblings were always moving around. You never know what’s going to happen around the corner. You can’t always know what the future is going to bring for you. My mum and me went through a bad time, we would always fight. She would get drunk and pass out and I would look after my brothers and sisters, it’s a big responsibility but sometimes people have to take things on, sometimes people don’t have a perfect upbringing. These things make you grow into the person you are. I know how to be independent, the things I went through took away my childhood because I was acting like an adult.
Tomorrow’s People were working with my school, I was supposed to get kicked out and they challenged my coach to get me back on track and he did; since our first meeting, coach has made me a better person, I’m not so violent and angry now. Coach has made me come so far, he gave me encouragement and it made me feel more confident. I’m determined to stay off benefits; it makes me feel like I’ve done nothing with my life even though I have. I want to have my own hairdressing business, that’s my dream. I’m 18, it’s my life and I can choose what I want to do with it now."
Portrait // Chelsea, London Fields, London. 18.
Chelsea Outtake //