I’ve always admired people who have chosen to live a different life from the one they were exposed to as a child. People who had a loveless childhood, going on to become loving parents, who were abused as a child and yet work out that the abuse was wrong and mustn’t be repeated, those who had nothing as a child who go on to achieve greatness.
Kriss Akabusi is one of those people. In the 1990’s I thought he was a star for his ability at the Olympics. Now, in addition, I’m utterly in awe of him, for having the inner strength to move beyond his directionless childhood growing up in care.
Here’s parallel Lives, my interview with him.