A man from Co Armagh who was told he would "never become anything" after being diagnosed with autism and ADHD as a child is now working hard to achieve his dreams.
Sean Kemp, 22, from Craigavon, is sharing his story in a bid to help others believe in themselves and be proud of who they are.
While he was growing up, Sean tried to fit in with others and found himself making "a lot of bad decisions", falling into drug use, and ending up in rehab twice.
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But in recent years, he's been able to turn things around, and is currently on a youth work course and training as a boxer.
"I just want to let people with autism to know not to believe people when they say you can't do things - you can," Sean told Belfast Live.
"I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD whenever I was a kid. My mum and dad were told to never expect anything from me, and that I'd never become anything. I believed that and I struggled with it growing up.
"There were some things I wasn't good at, I couldn't tie my shoelaces, but things I was interested in, I paid attention to. Then as I got older I started to try and fit in with others and I made a lot of bad decisions, I hurt people and I hurt family.
"I fell into using drugs and became addicted to tablets and spice. I ended up in rehab. People kept telling me I did nothing, but now I'm on a youth work course and I do boxing.
"I wouldn't say I was a troubled kid, I was brought up with good parents, but I did try to fit in and do whatever people said. I lost my granny and after that I just went AWOL.
"But now, I wake up everyday with a smile on my face, and I tell jokes, I never let those people who told me I would never do anything see me weak. They don't know what happens behind closed doors, when I'm on my own I could think thousands of things at once, but when I get into the boxing ring I focus on one thing and nothing else matters, that's my safe place."
Sean said he now wakes up every day proud of who he is, and happy to be working towards being where he wants to be.
He first got into boxing as a youngster, but fell back into it just before the pandemic, when his trainer at South Paw Gym told him he was talented and had a future in the sport.
Looking towards the future, the 22-year-old said he would love to set up a boxing club for people with autism and ADHD one day.
Sean said: "I started boxing when I was younger, but I was more interested in football and Gaelic then. My trainers kept telling me to come back, that I had a talent, but I just used it to street fight back in the day.
"Whenever I started boxing with Ryan Greene through a government scheme, I liked it and he said I had a talent. Iwas training for my first fight, then coronavirus happened and the fight didn't happen, then I ended up back in rehab.
"I managed to get my first fight last December but I didn't take it seriously enough, I was on spice and stuff. The second fight I didn't take it seriously either.
"But then I had three options - change, end up in jail, or end up dead. You need to follow your dreams. Nothing happens overnight, it might take a year or two, but just keep at it and don't stop.
"I'm not where I want to be but I'm getting there, I want to be a youth worker. I'm putting the work into the boxing now and I'm going to be the best."
Out of everything, Sean said the most important thing is to make sure to remain true to yourself, and not try to change yourself for anyone else.
He said: "One thing I'll never ever lose is my personality. Changing your personality is the thing that makes you go back. If I want to laugh, I laugh, I don't care what people think about me anymore."
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