Part of the Etc.
It might be hard to pin down the similarities between a career in the boxing ring and painting and decorating, but both hold their own appeal for former Olympic athlete Christian.
The dad-of-three, who represented Cameroon at the London 2012 Olympic Games, is among our current cohort of Painting and Decorating students at Stockton Riverside College.
We caught up with the 34-year-old to share his experiences of the course so far and to find out what inspires him, both in the boxing ring and when it comes to developing new skills.
A keen advocate for always continuing to build on your knowledge, he said: “I always want to try and be the best that I can be.”
For him, that has seen him rise to the top of his game in sport and now it guides his approach to his studies.
People may ask, after competing at the highest possible level, why he chooses to be here at the College, but always a hands-on kind of person, he said: “It is something I wanted to do. I enjoy it, particularly the wallpapering.” He said it opens up new opportunities and now he can also decorate his own home!
Growing up in Cameroon, Christian described how he originally took up boxing as a means of self-defence. He went on to become national junior boxing champion, then took the senior title and a string of international medals followed, before reaching the Olympics.
Today, he continues to pursue a boxing career, living and training in Stockton, and he has ambitions to one day become a coach himself.
For him, learning new skills can only be a good thing. Starting at Stockton Riverside College as an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) student, he found that he enjoyed the college environment.
Last year he used his own experiences to help inspire others, delivering motivational talks to Prince’s Trust Achieve students at the College.
He said the practical nature and technical aspects of painting and decorating offer him a great way to concentrate his mind, expanding his skill-base and further enhancing his language skills.
We are now taking applications for our Painting and Decorating courses starting this September, visit www.stockton.ac.uk/courses/painting-decorating/ for more details or to find out about our ESOL courses visit: www.stockton.ac.uk/courses/esol/
The dad-of-three, who represented Cameroon at the London 2012 Olympic Games, is among our current cohort of Painting and Decorating students at Stockton Riverside College.
We caught up with the 34-year-old to share his experiences of the course so far and to find out what inspires him, both in the boxing ring and when it comes to developing new skills.A keen advocate for always continuing to build on your knowledge, he said: “I always want to try and be the best that I can be.”
For him, that has seen him rise to the top of his game in sport and now it guides his approach to his studies.
People may ask, after competing at the highest possible level, why he chooses to be here at the College, but always a hands-on kind of person, he said: “It is something I wanted to do. I enjoy it, particularly the wallpapering.” He said it opens up new opportunities and now he can also decorate his own home!
Growing up in Cameroon, Christian described how he originally took up boxing as a means of self-defence. He went on to become national junior boxing champion, then took the senior title and a string of international medals followed, before reaching the Olympics.
Today, he continues to pursue a boxing career, living and training in Stockton, and he has ambitions to one day become a coach himself.
For him, learning new skills can only be a good thing. Starting at Stockton Riverside College as an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) student, he found that he enjoyed the college environment.
Last year he used his own experiences to help inspire others, delivering motivational talks to Prince’s Trust Achieve students at the College.
He said the practical nature and technical aspects of painting and decorating offer him a great way to concentrate his mind, expanding his skill-base and further enhancing his language skills.
We are now taking applications for our Painting and Decorating courses starting this September, visit www.stockton.ac.uk/courses/painting-decorating/ for more details or to find out about our ESOL courses visit: www.stockton.ac.uk/courses/esol/
