It all began for me when I first started in Millennium Carving, now called Sankalpa, I was on 80mls of methadone and off all other drugs for almost 2 years. Then after 4 months I started my detox, which went very well as I got down to 20mls. I kept detoxing slowly until I got off all my methadone. I found Sankalpa a big help in getting me to where I am today. It was also a great help in getting me to play for the Ireland Homeless World Cup team that went to play in the European championships in Poland and later the World Cup in Australia.
It’s started by Sankalpa letting me go over to the street leagues in Catherine’s every Friday morning to take part in a football 5 a side tournament. That’s where I first got spotted by Ken who asked me to enter my Millennium football team into the all Ireland street leagues. There were teams from all over the country taking part consisting of about 200 players out of which they would pick 50 players for the Homeless World Cup team and the European championships in Poland. They would narrow the team down to 10 for Poland, then down to eight for the world cup in Australia. I was picked to represent my country over in Poland and also in the World Cup in Australia, which were two of the best footballing experiences in my life. We finished 5th in Poland and 9th in the World Cup out of 48 countries, which was a fantastic achievement for the lads and me.
On the two trips abroad I had an unbelievable time and I was well looked after by the managers and facilitators, which I thank very much for all they done for the lads and me. When I got back from Australia I was put forward for football for all international Street league player of the year, which was being held in the City West Hotel. I was gob smacked to find out I was put forward for the award but when I actually won it, it was the highlight of my football career without question. We were also brought out at half time of the Georgia and Ireland game at Croke Park to be announced in front of all the crowd for what we had achieved, which was spectacular to be standing there while the whole crowd capped and cheered us on. I was also awarded with my cap for representing my country, which was very special because there’s not many people that can say they got capped for playing for their country.
Well since coming back from the homeless World Cup in Australia and winning street league player of the year everything has went really well for me with my football, coaching housing but mainly with my detox. When I went to Australia I was on 20mls of methadone and I have progressed really well since then I got myself down to 2mls of methadone a few weeks before Christmas with the help from Sankalpa and others. So over the Christmas break I decided to come off my last 2 mls of methadone which I did not find too bad, just a few aches and pains, nothing major and I think that was down to the help from Sankalpa, hard work and also how slow I have done it and how much I wanted to do it. Now that I’m off my methadone I feel good in myself and feel positive for the future of staying clean off drugs.
I have worked hard to get to where I am today and I know I will not let anything spoil that for me now. Sankalpa had a big help in that as it gave me structure, stability and kept me focused on what I wanted to achieve. I am now really looking forward to the future being drug free. Also I got word on my housing. I am moving into a new apartment on the 21st of January, which I am really excited about and looking forward to having somewhere I can call home at last after spending over a year in Contrath House (transitional housing). My football and coaching has went well recently. I went to the city hall and received my Ireland cap from Ray Houghton, for representing my country in Australia, which I was really pleased to get, it has probably being the highlight of my football career to date, just ahead of playing for my country and winning street league player of the year for 2009. I am now really looking forward to the New Year drug free and in my own place, where I can call home. Hopefully I can get a job in the FAI coaching football to kids, which is my main aim in life. I feel as if I can after making big steps towards that as well as I have my two coaching badges and I will be doing the next one as soon as I can.
In a recent survey of its clients, Sankalpa, a rehabilitation program for heroin addicts from the Finglas and Cabra communities, found that on average, clients had reduced their methadone by as much as 45 per cent over a 12 month period.