Header image: Mark Shearman - Athletics Images
Everyone's heard the name Kriss Akabusi – the former sprint and hurdling athlete has broken records, won Olympic medals, and now works as a motivational and corporate keynote speaker.
But not everyone has heard his story. In the early 1960s, his parents returned to Nigeria, leaving Kriss and his brother with a private foster carer so that they could continue to go to school in Britain.
But in 1967, his parents were unable to continue paying his foster parents, and the Akabusi children were relocated to a short-stay children’s home. He didn’t leave the care system until 1975, aged 16.
As his school began to give out careers advice, and his friends "from supportive homes with mums and dads" left to pursue new careers, Kriss knew that at 16 he would soon have to leave the children's home and needed a career that could provide him with security. And so, he joined the army and sought a fresh start.
I was desperate for my new superiors to see my potential, my skills and my abilities. Shedding that old identity was a key moment for me.
For Kriss, meeting his new boss, Sergeant McKenzie, was life-changing – he recognised Kriss' potential and said “I believe in you.” Kriss has since described him as “the catalyst and instigator of everything to come,” as he developed a training programme for him and bought him his first running spikes.
That moment transformed Kriss' future – and is one reason he supports the See Potential campaign, which aims to help employers see the benefits of employing people from all kinds of groups, like care leavers.
If you’re considering taking on somebody who’s recently come out of care, I assure you, they’ll be a true asset to your organisation. All you need to do is simply see their potential.
Kriss is proof of just how far a person can go when their potential is recognised, coached, and nurtured.
To read more about his story, see his blog. To find out more about the See Potential campaign, click here.
